Puataunofo Manukau Pilot Project
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Review and Reflection by Project Team
Department of Labour thanks Puataunofo Manukau Project team partners who have contributed time, resources, skills and networks in supporting and implementing the workplace safety vision. Puataunofo Manukau delivers on the Workplace Health and Safety Strategy for New Zealand to 2015 because it aims to lift New Zealand's workplace health and safety performance and reduce the work toll to achieve healthy people in safe and productive workplaces including Pacific workers and their employers. Puataunofo is a successful example of collaboration and coordination with different agencies working together to achieve key workplace health and safety outcomes and create a positive workplace environment for Pacific workers, employers, youth and communities. 'It takes a village of people to bring about change'.
ACC is happy to be associated with the Puataunofo Project because it supports the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy with its vision of 'A safe New Zealand, becoming injury free'. Since its inception the Puataunofo project team has worked strategically to achieve its goals and objectives and that is to raise awareness of health and safety for Pasefika workers in the Manukau Region. ACC will continue to support this project by working together with other key alliances to build a strong safety culture for Pasefika people in the workplace and the wider community.
Manukau City Council is pleased to be a partner in the Puataunofo Project and has participated through the Injury Free Counties Manukau programme and its focus to reduce unintentional injuries in Counties Manukau. The Council has a strong commitment to Health and Wellbeing for Pacific people and supports programmes such as Puataunofo which are positively impacting the everyday lives of Pacific people in Manukau. Injury Free Counties Manukau also has a partnership agreement with the Accident Compensation Corporation to reduce unintentional injuries, and a reduction in workplace injuries for the Pacific workforce is a key outcome of this partnership. The Council embraces a collaborative approach to working with other agencies and supports the sharing of resources, such as is demonstrated in this Puataunofo project. Together we are achieving a safe and healthy Tomorrows Manukau.
EPMU, with its large Pacific Island membership is very proud to be involved in the Puataunofo project. Not only does it bring the people of the Pacific together, it enhances our ability to actively participate in terms of Health and Safety. This project also brings together Pacific Branches within the relevant organisations to engage openly in health and safety discussions. The EPMU and CTU Komiti Pasefika can give workers a voice so they can take part in making their workplace a safe working environment. This will in turn be of great benefit for working people, their families, and the greater community. 'Safer families = Safer communities'.
Komiti Pasefika (CTU) is the CTU Pacific workers network, which aims to educate current and potential Pacific Island union members and activists. Komiti Pasefika encourages the involvement of Pacific peoples in unions through networking, offering support, providing education and advice and seeking recognition from relevant bodies in order to participate and influence in decision and policy making to meet the needs of Pacific peoples. Komiti Pasefika is proud to be part of the Puataunofo Project as it enables us to ensure real improvements are made in the area of Health & Safety.
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs wishes to acknowledge the Puataunofo Manukau Project team and its work to address workplace safety issues in the Manukau area. The project brought together government agencies, the Manukau City Council and worker organisations into an inter agency steering group to develop a Puataunofo Manukau Action Plan which included culturally appropriate approaches to raise workers safety awareness and practices. The plan was successfully implemented in the Manukau region and now there are moves to implement the Puataunofo approach in other parts of the country where there are high numbers of Pacific workers.
The project provides an evidence based approach to workplace health and safety for Pacific people in New Zealand. Goals have been achieved, awareness of workplace safety issues has been raised, workplace safety practices have been reinforced and outcomes under the project look very positive. Also the collaboration between the project team partners has been a positive feature of the project.
One of the strategic goals of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs is to increase Pacific peoples' participation in the economy and recognises that an unsafe workplace can be a barrier to participation. The Puataunofo Manukau Project aims to promote safe and healthy workplaces leading to improved social and economic outcomes for employers, Pacific workers and their families.