Letter No 3
26 October, 1994

9 October 1994

Carpenters and related trades report being swamped with work as the country's building boom continues.

Canterbury Manufacturers say they created more than 3000 jobs in May, according to Manufacturers Association chief executive Michael Hannah.

Labour Department unsure whether NZ's minimum wage legislation and holidays acts applies to Ukrainian seafarers - on a joint-venture contract with two NZ companies - who are working 12-hr days for $4.50.

10 October 1994

$2 million Workbridge job support programme starts aimed at helping disabled people hold mainstream jobs at normal rates of pay.

11 October 1994

Court of Appeal decides that the Employment Court has jurisdiction to award compensation for redundancies when it is not covered in an employment contract.

Wellington medical school researchers are about to start a study into the effects of unemployment, focussing on ex-Whakatu freezing workers who lost their jobs 8 years ago.

Steve Maharey calls for a revamp of benefit abatement rates before Income Support embarks on its promotion campaign about seasonal and part-time work.

Jim Bolger reports that the 11 members of the Employment Taskforce are paid $600 a day when the group is working, plus travel expenses. Total cost of the Taskforce exercise will be $1.3 million.

13 October 1994

Employment Taskforce releases an interim report focussing on employment issues for youth. The Taskforce wants every student leaving school to have access to either education, training or work opportunities.

Government posts its first economic surplus for 17 years, as economic growth fuels a 7.3% rise in taxation revenue. Surplus estimated at $755 million.

Housing NZ's annual report showed its tenants have 54% more in rent this year than last.

Police numbers will be reduced by 500 to offset govt funding of a $90 million supercomputer system designed to make crimefighting more efficient.

14 October 1994

Bill Birch decides to pump $535 million into public hospitals and hints that it would devote more money into job training.

Anglican Church renews its campaign to make the government admit that its housing reforms have pushed people into poverty.

State Services Commission reports that more than 700 state sector staff earn more than $100,000 a year.

15 October 1994

Inflation figures hit 1.8%, the first time since 1980 that inflation has been higher than 1%.

Graeme Lee wants the dole rules tightened to stop young unemployed snowboarding in winter and surfing in summer at the taxpayer's expense.

NZ'ers travelling to Britain for working holidays are to face tougher entry rules.

Bill Birch urges the business community to do more of its share in worker training, citing serious production bottlenecks caused by skill shortages.

17 October 1994

National Housing Day and World Food Day. The heads of NZ's major churches affirmed " the fundamental right to adequate and affordable housing for all" at interfaith services.

Govt Statistician Len Cook says that important economic and social indicators are often inaccurate or late because Statistics NZ is underfunded.

18 October 1994

Lockwood Smith releases the government's long-term education plan Education for the 21st Century.

A $1.3 million television advertising campaign has started by the Employment Service, featuring the success stories of formerly unemployed people. It aims to generate more work for the long-term unemployed.

Labour Immigration spokesperson Annette King complains about Polish engineers being "trained" by Air New Zealand at Auckland airport as part of a maintenance contract. The poles were receiving only $3.77 an hour.

22 October 1994

The Qualifications Authority spends $100,000 on a five-part ETV television series promoting the new qualifications framework.

Sue Bradford and Grant Morgan announce the formation of a new group Counter ACT which has been set up to oppose the policies of Sir Roger Douglas's ACT New Zealand political party.

24 October 1994

Labour Day, a traditional celebration of the struggle of workers to achieve an eight-hour day.

Sir Guy Richardson Powles 1905-1994