
February
Clinic

February
happening February
Coromandel Workers Council has been set up with the vision of supporting equity in the workplace
by offering services that enable workers and businesses to know and understand their rights and responsibilities.
News
We're coming to Tairua
Bereavement leave to cover miscarriage and stillbirth
Our next monthly clinic will be held in Tairua.
We will be at St Francis House, 248 Main North Road from 2-5pm.
For further details please visit our Facebook events page.
Parliament has passed a law to provide workers the right to take 3 days off work in the unfortunate event that they experience a miscarriage or a stillbirth.
The law change allows for paid bereavement leave should they or their partner experience a miscarriage or stillbirth. People planning to have a child through surrogacy or adoption are also eligible, if the pregnancy ends by miscarriage or stillbirth.
It is an unfortunate fact that one in 5 births end in miscarriage. Miscarriage is most common in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy but it can also occur up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy. This is what is defined as a stillbirth. It is less common occurring in one in 200 pregnancies.

Just like when bereavement leave is taken for a close family member so that an employee may grieve and take care of matters relating to their bereavement. It is not expected that an employee should take these days off consecutively or immediately after the miscarriage or stillbirth. No proof of either the pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth is required.
The current rules around the eligibility for bereavement leave still apply where an employee must have been in employment for the same organisation for a minimum of six months.
The termination of s pregnancy does not qualify for bereavement leave under these new law changes.
Minimum Wage Increase

April 1st sees the minimum wage increasing for everyone.
The adult minimum wage will increase from $18.90 to $20.00 and the starting and training minimum will increase from $15.12 to $16 and hour.
Changes to benefits and abatement thresholds will also be made positively affecting some 82,000 people after many years of being far too low for people to survive on.
The $20 minimum and hour was a promise made by the Labour government back in the 2017 election, with the government also hinting at a further increase possibly coming next year.
Watch this space
The Coromandel Workers Council has adopted the raised first as its logo in a nod to its origins dating back to the early twentieth century where it was used as a symbol of solidarity and support. These days it continues to be used as a salute to express unity, strength, defiance or resistance.
There are many examples of the raised fist being used as a logo throughout history. To view some more examples and rad about its use click here.