About 500 lab workers employed by medical testing company – Awanui – have settled on a 9.2 percent salary increase after six months of strike action. The PSA is urging health officials to reopen consultation into proposals to close an Auckland mental health facility, citing concerns about predetermination. Camilla Belich's member's bill that seeks to stop employers enforcing gag orders on workers talking about their salaries is likely to pass into law. Big electricity retailers will now have to offer cheaper prices for off-peak power use prices, and fair prices to people who sell surplus power to the grid from roof top solar panels at peak times.
Union coverage
- APEX: Awanui lab workers settle on 9.2 percent salary increase after six months of strike action
- PSA: Plea to reopen consultation into plans to close Auckland mental health facility
Employment
- Parliament considering big changes to employment law
- Legislation that lets workers talk about salaries likely to pass into law
Politics
- Government shuts the door on open-plan classrooms
- ACC halts rollout of second stage of sexual violence prevention plan (paywall)
- Government launches $500k support package for flood-hit farmers in Tasman
- Govt to halt 'pricey, pointless' council planning work ahead of RMA overhaul
- Ministry feared costs of $60m a year to review laws under Regulatory Standards Bill
- Criminologist fears electronic tagging of migrants 'going to get huge'
- Emissions Trading Scheme incentivising whole farm conversions into forestry, farmers say
- Stricter regulations needed for campylobacter 'epidemic', health experts warn (paywall)
- Labour puts forward modern slavery bill, saying NZ will get left behind (paywall)
- Labour pushes for Potaka to release homelessness briefing amid concerns over rising numbers
Te Ao Māori
- 'Toitū te reo': All welcome as national Māori language festival returns
- Behind 'bombshell' Treaty Principles Bill scoop that sparked national debate
Economics
- 'Dramatic shift' that could leave KiwiSaver members better off
- Electricity Authority announces new rules for big energy retailers
- Rural community in Western Bay of Plenty 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit
Opinion
- Staff retention is a safety issue (paywall)
- Govt winds up council reform storm
- Govt needs creative fix to rising house insurance (paywall)
- If we want a national network of polytechnics, we need to fund them (paywall)
- National tiptoes on the tightrope while coalition partners dance a jig (paywall)
/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.
