A Message of Support for Christchurch Women on International Women’s Day

NZNO president, Nano Tunnicliff and kaiwhakahaere, Kerri Nuku have sent a message of support to Christchurch women who have lost or are likely to lose their jobs in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.

“On International Women’s Day [March 8], we want to acknowledge that working women have been hard hit by the earthquake. Already, the aged-care and retail sectors have suffered major job losses and women are far and away the biggest workforce in these two sectors. Further job losses in these two areas are highly likely. The early education sector, predominantly staffed by women, has also suffered,” Nano Tunnicliff said.

“We want all women who have lost their jobs in this tragedy to know that NZNO and other unions representing predominantly women workforces, will stand with them and ensure they are treated fairly in terms of their entitlements. But we must also work hard to ensure that in the weeks and months ahead jobs in which women are the major workforce are treated equally in terms of job creation. Clearly construction work is vital but our vulnerable elderly deserve the best care and our pre-schoolers deserve the best education,” she said.

Kerri Nuku said many women working in aged care were their family’s primary earner. “Those who are not primary income earner are often making the difference between a family coping and a family struggling. There will be thousands of families whose primary or secondary earner will be facing unemployment,” she said.

Nuku urged the Government not to use the earthquake as a reason to cut back on services vital to help all workers and their families. “The Government was introducing anti-worker changes, cutting services vital for struggling families and refusing to act on basic rights for women, such as pay equity, before the earthquake. It is essential that the earthquake is not used as a reason to hasten this agenda.”

NZNO representatives will be taking part in a lunchtime gathering in Parliament Grounds in Wellington tomorrow as an expression of solidarity with working women all over the world and a tribute to working women in Christchurch, especially to those who died in the earthquake. The Pay Equity Challenge Coalition will launch the pay equity pledge at this event – 100 New Zealand women leaders who have pledged to pay equity.

ENDS

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