CTU launches online tool for reporting bad employers

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, March 30th, 2020 - 27 comments
Categories: Economy, uncategorized, Unions, workers' rights - Tags: ,

The Council of Trade Unions has launched an online tool allowing employees to log complaints against ill treatment by employers during the Covid-19 lockdown.

From Rob Stock at Stuff:

The Council of Trade Unions has launched an online register for workers who have been shoddily-treated by their employers following the outbreak of Covid-19 to log their complaints.

“We continue to hear really concerning reports of unacceptable behaviour by some employers,” said CTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“I do want to stress that the majority of employers are doing the right thing, they are looking after their employees and following the clear guidance from the government. But unfortunately this is not universally the case.”

This video sets out what workers’ expectations are.

The site Covid-19 and your rights can be accessed here.

27 comments on “CTU launches online tool for reporting bad employers ”

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  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    30 March 2020 at 9:57 am

    Good to have a centralised info store and share experiences on this. Union organisers are encountering increasing permutations of factors in dealing with the Level 4 situation. e.g. a case I know of at NZ post where a supervisor is stopping several workers from home work or leave on pay–the kids are being looked after by different caregivers each day as partners are essential workers–not on! And the advertised childcare in that region is just not a happening thing.

    It is interesting also to see our self employed, small and SME operators, aspirationals, tradies, and others that normally spit on welfare recipients, with their hands out! And so they should of course, and maybe some will adjust their attitudes a bit perhaps in future.

    • Climaction 1.1
      31 March 2020 at 8:42 am

      Fuck you. Those people are employers and the backbone of the nations economy. An economy decimated by fiat in an attempt to disrupt a virus.

      but hey, they deserve derision as they own capital right? What a wanker.

      [Please watch your language, thanks – Incognito]

      • Incognito 1.1.1
        31 March 2020 at 3:24 pm

        See my Moderation note @ 8:42 AM.

      • Chris 1.1.2
        31 March 2020 at 4:17 pm

        So you're saying that it's okay for someone to spit on the poor with toxic attitudes if they're an employer because 'employers are the backbone of the nation'? I don't know if that's what you mean but if you go back and have a look at what you're responding to that's pretty much what you've said.

        • The Al1en 1.1.2.1
          31 March 2020 at 4:46 pm

          And quite a few of these employers routinely pay their staff the minimum wage and whinge and moan every time it goes up.

          If they truly are the back bone of the nation they're not very good at doing their jobs if an ultra low wage economy is their means of providing it.

          • infused 1.1.2.1.1
            31 March 2020 at 10:50 pm

            Even my skilled employees are saying what the fuck to the min wage increase. Everytime it is increased, you are marginalising skilled workers even further. If you want to earn more, you need to up skill.

            The min wage increase coming is going to sink a lot of jobs.

        • new view 1.1.2.2
          1 April 2020 at 5:47 am

          No Chris. Tiger Mountain is generalising in an unclear way as you well know, and he doesn't quite include all employers with that part of his comment.

          "It is interesting also to see our self employed, small and SME operators, aspirationals, tradies, and others that normally spit on welfare recipients, with their hands out! And so they should of course, and maybe some will adjust their attitudes a bit perhaps in future."

          Those on this forum who generally look upon employers with distain will note that after the Virus has done its work they will all want to go back to work to find employer numbers depleted, as many won't survive. Some of those who think this way, can go straight onto the unemployment benefit as their jobs will no longer exist. Whether you like it or not its their effort that enabled them to buy or create their business. Some are good employers some are not. It's like parenting isn't it. Some do it well and some shouldn't be allowed to breed.

          • Tiger Mountain 1.1.2.2.1
            1 April 2020 at 10:30 am

            Firstly, my comment was based on decades worth of anecdotes, observations, agreement negotiations, disputes, conversations and plain old life experience in New Zealand over many years. I have a reasonable understanding of exactly how the groups I named typically view beneficiaries–with disdain–particularly following the 1990s Shipley era “dob in a bludger” TV ads which officially sanctioned “othering” of certain citizens. The essential neo liberal division of “deserving and underserving” poor.

            You do not have to make shit up when it comes to the degrading of Social Security, once a respected part of the Welfare State–John Key’s mother was on a Widows Benefit! A generation later Key as glorious leader, was saying beneficiaries “need a kick in the pants”…

            Secondly, the old myth of the “hardworking kiwi” is likely to be turned on its head in the next few months. It seems the service economy is not as resilient as the productive sector after all. Employers, and finance capital do not create wealth–it is the physical and intellectual labour of the worlds workers that do that.

          • Chris 1.1.2.2.2
            1 April 2020 at 11:22 am

            I was responding to Climaction not Tiger Mountain.

  2. RedBaronCV 2
    30 March 2020 at 10:39 am

    Excellent – lets hope this and any ongoing costs legal costs are funded by the government and recovered from the employer.

    Why should employees have to chase their rights one by one through the employment tribunals and put a target on their back in terms of applying for future jobs.

    It will take a big attitude adjustment in this country for employers to stop doing pretty much what they feel like.

    • Tiger Mountain 2.1
      30 March 2020 at 10:50 am

      Not to overstate the case when many are searching for feel good factors…but…since the 1991 Employment Contracts Act, and subsequent lowered union density, NZ Employers have had it all their way for nearly 30 years.

      Employment related costs from training, professional development to safety equipment etc. have all been loaded onto largely underpaid workers who are meant to be grateful! Productivity and wage increases substantially parted company years ago if you check out Treasury graphs. Sod that, when this epidemic is hopefully under control in a year or so, the price of being allowed to operate at all for employers should at the very least be Scandinavian style social democracy. And the rate things are going worldwide, full socialism looks increasingly possible.

      • RedBaronCV 2.1.1
        30 March 2020 at 11:12 am

        Agreed except for the year or two. Those huge wages at the top need to be repurposed pretty promptly.Union support should be a given whether or not workers have been paying a subscription. The costs could be funded by a government grant and employer penalties. If we let all the is roll on for longer the attitudes become even more entrenched. Seats on boards too – starting with the companies with some government ownership.

  3. Muttonbird 3
    30 March 2020 at 11:02 am

    It would be good to have something like this for renters also.

    • RedBaronCV 3.1
      30 March 2020 at 11:14 am

      I'd far rather the the $1 billion or so that is paid out in accommodation supplements was directed towards home ownership for the many so renting reverted back to the transitory marginal situation it used to be.

      • Muttonbird 3.1.1
        30 March 2020 at 11:18 am

        Until that happens tenants need protection from dodgy landlords.

      • Chris 3.1.2
        30 March 2020 at 2:10 pm

        Yes, the focus generally should on home ownership. There are towns, for example, where there's little work therefore high unemployment, and relatively cheap houses for sale, which add up to high demand for rental properties and proportionately high rent. In situations like this beneficiaries are paying more in rent than what mortgage repayments would be. Beneficiaries are often the best budgeters because they have to be. It's ridiculous people in this situation aren't given the opportunity to own their own home.

      • RosieLee 3.1.3
        30 March 2020 at 3:15 pm

        Accommodation supplements wouldn't be needed if rents were reasonable and controlled. If more rental housing was built and provided by the state. If residential rentals weren't part of the property speculation boom. If CGT were levied on all but the family home. If. If. If. it ain't gonna happen as long as we have neoliberal governments.

      • Gabby 3.1.4
        31 March 2020 at 8:53 pm

        I'd rather it went into state owned rentals, so people who are never going to earn or save much don't have to choose between crippling debt and extortionate rent.

        • CrimzonGhost 3.1.4.1
          31 March 2020 at 9:40 pm

          Gabby if state continually builds state homes and brings in interest free/low interest State Advances Corporation home loans again, institutes rent-to-buy, co-equity model and a home saving scheme similar to Kiwisaver with first home buyers provisos transferred from Kiwisaver to ‘Homesaver’ that would enable many more kiwis to get foot in door to own home. It doesn’t have to be one or the other but hybrid. Renting with a guaranteed path to ownership.

    • Jimmy 3.2
      31 March 2020 at 12:44 am

      and landlords

  4. Cinny 4
    30 March 2020 at 11:10 am

    What a great resource.

    Shout out to one of my employers (I work 2 jobs) who has been amazing. The true blue boss even rang in the weekend to check we were ok and to assure us that we will be getting paid next week and have a job to go back to.

    He also heaped praise on the PM and told me he was going to vote for Jacinda, the first time he has ever voted labour. He went on to say, thank god simon is not PM right now. I almost fell off my chair.

  5. mac1 5
    30 March 2020 at 1:57 pm

    I'm presuming that's not Mr Talley?

  6. phantom snowflake 6
    30 March 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Another option; designed specifically for workers in the Hospitality industry, is the Raise the Bar campaign:

    https://www.facebook.com/raisethebarnz

    "Time's up for shitty hospo bosses!"

  7. Foreign waka 7
    31 March 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Time to get universal income on the table that would not cost billions of corporate benefits. I hear of people being made redundant and the company claims subsidy, people whose boss is overseas and cant be bothered but shutting shop anyways, staff being told that the subsidy will help to support the higher waged as they are working (?!) but they will not get paid if they don't work. I hope the new site will prevent fraud on a major scale.

    Time to instate a universal income. Time to change and to make NZ more resilient against exploitation on many levels.