About

Rebuild Better is E tū’s campaign to make sure that workers and out communities are at the heart of the COVID-19 recovery.

Rebuild Better is all about taking action, telling our stories, providing useful information, and making sure our union influences the next steps our country takes.

Our campaign is guided by 5 key principles (click each principle to read more):

  1. Prioritise community health and safety [link]
  2. No workers left out of pocket [link]
  3. Keep and create decent jobs [link]
  4. Union members involved in all decisions [link]
  5. Fair pay and conditions to end inequality for all [link]

Similarly, E tū has developed our expectations for a decent recovery:

  1. Wage-led growth

To achieve wage led growth out of the crisis and a just transition for workers. 

  • Fair Pay Agreements are a key delivery mechanism to achieve decent work standards.
  • Living wage, pay equity settlements and industry bargaining support an equitable rebuild.
  • State support for firms is tied to a transition plan for workers in target sectors.
  • Social procurement enables secure Living Wage jobs across the state sector.
  • There is a national job redeployment scheme.
  • Industry plans have a strong skills and workforce development component.
  • Re-build the state

To rebuild the role of the state.

  • State-led job creation programmes generate sustainable and decent work.
  • Privatization and contracting out of key industries are rolled back.
  • Ethical social procurement incorporates employment standards and a central union role.
  • The care and support industries are more strongly regulated.
  • Infrastructure projects are delivered with an eye to building the state’s capacity to deliver.
  • Workers’ voice front and centre

To put workers at the centre of industry transformation with structural mechanisms for unions to have a say in decisions at firm, industry and national levels.

  • Unions are resourced to provide worker representation on boards of all essential services and network critical businesses; and Health and safety reps are elected for all businesses.
  • Existing government industry policy is rolled out across more industries and quicker.
  • There is a national role for unions, to oversee rebuilding, including national jobs agency/scheme, workforce learning and development, training and education for each sector, negotiation of industry standards, infrastructure decisions, procurement decisions.
  • Strong Maori communities

To support Māori community development and decent work in Māori enterprises as a central feature of strong Māori communities.

  • Rebuild the social safety net

To ensure that that a progressive approach to rebuilding government finances takes place, where the wealthy contribute, and regressive tax policies are resisted.

  • The recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group are implemented, including benefit level increases and individualising of benefits.
  • Progressive taxation is introduced to rebuild government finances, with a focus on wealth not consumption taxes.
  • Strong public services are strengthened to provide stable jobs and incomes.
  • Social and state housing is expanded and upgraded.

Who are we?

E ū is a campaigning and organising union, and the largest private sector union in New Zealand. For more information about E tū, visit our main website.