Labour relations class popular with soldiers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 458, 20 October 1992, Page 5

Labour relations class popular with soldiers

Soldiers learning about workers rights and the Employment Contracts Act - is the Army heading for mutiny? No, say the pupils in the class on labour relations which is Waiouru's most popular NZIM course being run at present. Twenty students spend each Thursday night getting to grips with the history and present day application of industrial relations. Initially it may seem the rules and regulations have little application in the military but service personnel have been very vocal about the benefits. "My unit employs a large number of civilian

staff," said Capt Chris Wilson of Central Stores. "It is important that I know about the conditions that apply to them." Michelle Bateman who works in the Civil Administration section reinforced these comments. "Of all the NZIM courses this will be the most applicable for me," she said. About half the students are soldiers or civilians who work for the Army. Labour Relations is one of the five compulsory modules for the New Zealand Institute of Management^ Certificate in Supervisory Management. Ohakune is running Marketing

(another compulsory) this term and Waiouru has two additional optional modules; Introductory Computing and Communications . None have been as popular as the labour relations class. "We had 12 enrolments before the course was even advertised," said Jan Savell, night class coordinator for Waiouru. The course was so popular that an alternative plan for two classes, an early and a late shift, was arranged with the tutor Peter Hales who travels from Bulls to teach the course.