2 September, 2008

 

Speech at Work Rights Wage Drive - Manukau rally
Telstra Clear Stadium, 27/08/08

Mahendra Singh
EPMU Delegate at NZ Post
Elected member of EPMU National Executive

To all brothers and sisters - Bula Vinaka and Namaste!

Today we stand United as one because we believe our future is in our collective hands. We are the ones who will make things happen.

Let's all go back 15 years when life was squeezed from us, our rights were taken away. We worked like robots to make dollars to place bread on the table. No overtime, no penal rates no..., I can on and on and on.

During those times we stood together and said to ourselves, there is light at the end of tunnel. We moved from these doldrums and became what we are. In many ways it is down to us - as trade unions and a movement to shape this changing world around our traditional values and our rights.

New Zealand Post, where I work, has a very strong membership with EPMU (over 6000 members) and we have stood together for the last 3 to 4 years when changes were being made to our work environment. We believed in our Union because it played a vital role in these changes. It created a clear understanding between members and management.

Changes are good provided the company is prepared to share from its achievement.

This year to my knowledge at New Zealand Post we have created history and negotiated a 33 month collective agreement. By the time the full implementation of wage increase comes into force, every member will have had his or her wages increased by 12.5%.

Remember  100 years ago, our struggle to improve our lives started in Blackball, on the West Coast of the South Island. A few stood up for their rights and now we are all benefiting. Our forefathers carried the struggle through those years and it is our turn now to move it forward. This is about solidarity and if we all believe in ourselves then we can make things happen. 

There could be tougher times facing us, but we as a Union should stand together side by side and fight those elements which are preparing to destroy us, for some they think we look different but we are not.

I also think it is important I say this today to all my fellow migrant workers out there who have not joined the Union, the time has come to believe in Unity as it is the strongest voice. Unions are the movement where your concerns will be raised.

Join the Union today and make your future stronger, we have to stand tall.

The challenge for us all is this, the world is changing very rapidly; are we as a movement changing quickly enough to meet these challenges? Despite these challenges there is always an opportunity and hope.

Brothers and Sisters, let us challenge ourselves to stand for

Work Rights - Wage Rights.

Thank you and a big Vinaka Vaka Levu.