February 26, 2009
Media Release

EPMU announces recession criteria

The EPMU is demanding openness and dialogue from employers as it deals with a growing number of proposals from businesses facing the recession this year.

The call comes as union releases its criteria for engaging with New Zealand companies hit by the economic crisis.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the union’s engagement with businesses will be based on good faith.

“We’ll be engaging with our 2000 delegates and 45,000 members over the next few months to ensure that they don’t bear the brunt of the recession and that any employer proposals are dealt with on a principled basis.

“We owe our members a duty to advocate in their best collective interests and this will be done by ensuring they have the right information and have the best understanding of the situation facing their employer.

“This is not a time to ram through unpalatable or unnecessary measures but instead to look long term.

“We’ve issued criteria for our organisers and delegates when dealing with employer proposals and our focus is on keeping jobs and maintaining incomes.

“Workers will want to know that non-labour costs have been looked at and that shareholders, directors and managers have shared in any change package before jobs and incomes are up for discussion.

“The businesses that will survive this recession in a sound state will be the ones that have genuinely good relationships with their employees and involve them from the outset in the issues faced by the business.”

The EPMU represents 45,000 working New Zealanders across 11 industries. This year the union will be negotiating more than 570 collective agreements, including industry-wide agreements in the Plastics, Coal Mining and Metals & Manufacturing sectors.

A copy of the EPMU’s criteria for dealing with employers’ responses to the recession can be downloaded at http://www.epmu.org.nz/assets/EPMU-recession-criteria.pdf

ENDS

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