F.O.L. decides policy on advanced technology

Press, 8 May 1982, Page 1

F.O.L. decides policy on advanced technology

Wellington reporter The Federation of Labour voted yesterday to accept no new technology without a shorter working week and no pay loss. The remit was passed as one of a group insisting that increased productivity from the introduction of new technology should benefit workers.

A 35-hour week or nineday fortnight would ensure that a maximum number of workers remained employed. The conference condemned employers’ extension of “clock hours” by extending the working day, and the working week. This eroded working conditions.

The conference also planned to discourage overtime work while so many people were unemployed by seeking in award claims extra leisure time for each hour worked at penal rates, and by asking the Human Rights Commission to stop employer practices of sign-

ing up workers only if they agreed to work overtime. A remit was passed asking the F.O.L. to end the employer’s right to dismiss a worker without the approval of the Union representative and the right of appeal to a disputes committee. The F.O.L. has officially formulated its policy on the introduction of new technology. It adopted without change yesterday the document, “Trade Union Policy on New Technology,” adopted unanimously by a special two-day conference of unions on technology in 1980: The main points are:

© No new technology may create redundancies. Employers whose productivity and profits increased as a result must provide work for those displaced, for schoolleavers unable to get work, and those wishing to re-enter the work-force.

© Productivity gains must be used to reduce hours, weeks, find years worked.

Superannuation must be available at earlier ages, and linked to the cost of living. ® To protect workers from fewer jobs, the unemployed must be given a guaranteed minimum income indexed to the cost of living; legal restraints on the level of types of redundancy must be removed; displaced workers must be paid at the employer’s expenses a full wage, including overtime and allowances, until new employment is found, or for a period of 12 months; employers should provide retraining at full pay for displaced workers; and the State should provide retraining facilities to train employed workers in new skills, such training to be mainly at the employer’s expense. © No new technology may be introduced without union agreement, arid, all the implications must be negotiated between employers and union's. Bans will be placed on any new technology introduced without consultation.