Union moots deal on productivity

Press, 5 September 1988, Page 7

Union moots deal on productivity

PA Auckland The Engineers’ Union will put before award talks next week proposals to improve workers’ productivity and efficiency. Metal trades award talks will begin on September 12 to renew the national award, which covers a vast range of manufacturing industries. The engineers’ Auckland secretary, Mr Jim Butterworth, said the claims were a radical progression from award claims usually advanced by unions. “For once, instead of being reactive, the union is being proactive,” he said. “If employers pick it up and run with it, this could really shake up manufacturing.” Mr Butterworth said the proposals would allow employers to develop a multi-skilled workforce, leading to productivity and efficiency gains. The suggested reforms include: © consultative committees in each workplace with joint worker-manage-ment representation. ® Encouragement to increase skills through training.

© New safety and occupational health provisions, employers providing up-to-date information on chemicals and using “control systems” in preference to protective clothing. © Longer notice of redundancy. ® An undertaking that no redundancies occur until the employer and the union have jointly considered alternatives to redundancy or negotiated a redundancy agreement. Mr Butterworth said the inevitable spread of new technology into manufacturing prompted the union initiative. The proposals were modelled on industrial relations practices in Scandinavia, Germany, Japan and Australia. “We are telling employers they have to go this way, otherwise they won’t survive. “Nothing is going to stop modern technology coming into industry, but people have to be trained to use it.” The Employers’ Association metal trades advocate, Mr Peter Carroll, said meetings of employers throughout New Zealand were considering their response to the proposals.