WHAT WAS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF EMPLOYMENT ACTION IN 1995?
There was no real action just a cover up of the figures.
-- Diane Boss, Auckland

1995 continued the government `lip-service' to the employment issue characterised by a lack of effective partnership with training providers, community groups, sector groups etc by centralised bureaucratic control over resources and planning. The skills shortages are largely due to this lack of partnership, uncertainty and short-term planning leading to a loss of expertise and skills that have been developed by tutors and training providers. -
-- Hugh Hughes, Mt Maunganui

While the improvement in the national economy is very welcome, it would be more welcome if the benefits were shared more widely. It would be even more welcome if the quality and security of many jobs created by the recovery were not worse than those available in the time of higher unemployment.
-- Jo Howard, Poronui

The employment issue is being marginalised and being reframed as not an economic issue. The churches seem to be providing some of the only voices of critical discussion of these issues.
-- David Owens, New Plymouth

It should be possible to use all of the so-called `surplus' to focus on the unemployment and employment quality issues, re-employing people who are experienced, trained and unemployed right at this moment, e.g. teachers.
-- Joan Chapple, Glendowie Auckland

The Employment Task Force generated a great deal of interest and ideas in the community, but this was effectively sidelined by the process of reports and responses that followed it. We are seeing a return to cynicism in the community as a result.
-- Ian Ritchie, Feilding

The government used the Task Force to give the appearance of action while doing very little. Local government (eg Christchurch) and community groups (eg Just Dollars) did create jobs. I remain unclear about the status of the new jobs the government claim have been created.
-- Pat Scott, Dunedin

The Government response to the Report of the Task Force on Employment is designed to intensify the pressure on those out of work to compete on the labour market for jobs, the objective being to lower wage rates.
--Don Ross, Whangarei

There needs to be recognition of the value of much of the volunteer activity that takes place within effective communities, and we need to provide status for this input.
-- Hugh Hughes, Mt Maunganui

The long-term unemployed sometimes need more assistance easing back into the workforce. In some cases a buddy system over the first few weeks of employment, a more structured job description, or on-the-job training programme is needed.
-- C. Saunders

Foreign investment should be just that, as opposed to foreign control which gives the trans-nationals far too much power in our country, and hence many other ills.
-- Wendy Cave, Nelson

The government should provide low-interest loans to local government or community trusts for capital works upgrading water supply, building houses, labour-intensive pest control.
-- Pat Scott, Dunedin

Restore the 1991 Benefit cuts, relate state rentals to income and increase the minimum wage... organise, unite and act to stop the slide towards a Third world country with its promise of permanent high level of unemployment.
-- Don Ross, Whangarei

We need to fund some research into the real costs of unemployment in New Zealand in economic as well as social terms.
-- Ian Ritchie, Feilding

Stop the big timber interests from log exports. One ship which left Picton in 1995 carried enough logs to provide jobs for a year for 300 NZers. Work out for yourself what that figure would be if all the log exports were brought into this calculation. The only reason logs go offshore for processing is that the end products are created in low-cost labour countries, meaning a megabuck rake-off for the lumber interests. The world price for the finished product is the same whether the processing is in NZ or Taiwan / Korea or whatever. But the profit take is greater if the logs leave here raw.
-- Jim Chapple, Katikati