After the quake: Back to work for some, out of work for others
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An exemplary work for poor
Convertible dresses for work and fun
Work For Change, But Change That Works
Life after the quake
“Great, I'm going to die at work” those were the thoughts of Woolston factory worker Bryce Lowry during the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch last month. Lowery told his story to a local paper; the shake caused him to fall forward and hit his head on the machine he was working at. A roll of rubber fell down on him and he became briefly wedged in the machinery before managing to free himself. Another lucky escape was a shop assistant at a High Street boutique; the young woman fell through the floor into the basement as the building collapsed around her, she was helped out by a shopkeeper from the shop next door. The story was recounted in Womans Day by a columnist who owned the fashion store.
As is now well known, many were not as lucky as Bryce Lowry or the High Street shop assistant, and did indeed die at work that Tuesday afternoon. They couldn't have known their fate when they left for work that morning and in all fairness, neither could their employers. While some questions were raised about buildings that were assessed as safe after last years earthquake came down so quickly in this years, engineers are unanimous that the Feburary quake was way beyond what building codes anticipated. The message from Mayor Bob Parker in the days following the quake was not to return to work unless you were in a job that would help in the situation; along side the rescue teams and engineers, many of the cities lowest paid workers were back on the job soon keeping the city fed by allowing supermarkets to open and doing sanitation jobs that helped prevent the spread of disease that was a possibility in the post-disaster environment. Those workers are the unnamed and unsung hero's of Christchurch's recovery.
Unfortunately others were told to come back to work simply so they could continue to produce profit for their employers, and in doing so were put at risk. One factory, a manufacturer of duvet covers and overalls, was back in business less than 48 hours after the ground shook. The building had not been assessed and there was little drinkable water available. In another story told to this writer, a young woman decided to hand in her resignation two weeks earlier than she had planed after her employer, an electronics manufacturer whose products are exported to Europe, had staff come back with just a few days off to deal with the disruption the quake had caused. The Department of Labour issued advice for employers reopening after the earthquake, the first point of advice: Don’t rush in.
Those back at work might be considering themselves the lucky ones however, as others such as many of the thousands employed in the still cordoned off central business district are surviving on the governments recovery package which is equivalent to the minimum wage, a reduced income for many workers. The first earthquake related mass layoffs were announced on March 1; supermarket company Foodstuffs cut 235 jobs at two stores unable to reopen. The possibility of job loss is a fear in the mind of many Christchurch workers, some of whom are also coping with lost loved ones and damage to homes and neighborhoods.
