Labour's Lies Painted Up As Promise Of Pay-Rise
te-pati-maori
Thu Aug 16 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Labour's Lies Painted Up As Promise Of Pay-Rise
Thursday, 16 August 2007, 3:45 pm
Press Release: The Maori Party
Labour's Lies Painted up as Promise of Pay-Rise
"When is it ever good policy to make our young people feel worth-less?" asked Dr Pita Sharples, Employment Spokesperson for the Maori Party
The Maori Party has shared their extreme disappointment about the discriminatory nature of the Youth Rates Bill that was debated last night in Parliament.
“When the original bill came before the House in February 2006, we were amongst its strongest supporters because it opposed discrimination and was in total accord with Maori Party policy to abolish youth rates”said Dr Sharples, employment spokesperson for the Maori Party.
“We praised Sue Bradford for standing up against age discrimination. When is it ever good policy to make our young people feel worth-less than other workers, simply because of their age?”
“Then the Bill disappeared into select committee and suddenly ‘age discrimination’ was removed from the title and replaced with ‘new entrants’” said Dr Sharples.
“Rangatahi have told us that when they hear the term ‘new entrant’ they think about their little brothers and sisters – year one students at primary school. All they want is a decent wage for a decent day’s work –just like any other worker. What is so wrong with that?”
“The change at select committee to side-step the reality of wage discrimination for young workers, and cover it up with the promise of a payrise once graduating from being a ‘new entrant’is a patronising, paternalistic act of deception” said Dr Sharples.
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“Labour MPs are trying to pull the wool over our eyes, by going on about the pay-rise that our kids will get, after they’ve been discriminated against for 200 hours, employment conditions determined by the plantation owners in the Labour government” said Dr Sharples. “That’s like telling someone before they have an injection, how much better they’re going to feel when it’s finished”.
“We do, however, admire the sheer determination and resolve of the NDU spearheaded by Laila Harre, and UNITE with Matt McCarten”said Dr Sharples. “They have done their best to make a bad situation work, and the amendment that went through the House last night, in widening eligibility, is all credit to them. We applaud their advocacy for their membership”.
"And we acknowledge the leadership that Progressive Enterprises has taken, in moving to boost youth wages now, instead of waiting for another twist of the law from Labour".
“What has disappointed me most, is that during the debate some of Labour’s MPs, all former union activists, said that to make a stand on principle would be considered bad form if we were unionists negotiating a deal” said Dr Sharples.
“And that’s exactly the point – no one in this Parliament is a Union delegate – we are here as Members of Parliament to represent the concerns and aspirations of our constituency. Support for workers must not get confused with opposition to oppressive legislation. We know we will not sell out on workers, on our people. Labour will be hard pushed to say the same, they sold workers down the road in the eighties and they will willingly do it again - lest we forget".
“Discrimination in any shape or form – is never acceptable, and we will keep saying thatand we will continue to oppose it, on principle. As the famous leader of the Mexican Revolution, Zapata, once said “ I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees”.
Note: almost half of the Māori population is under 18 years of age—43% compared with 24% of the non-Māori population.
ENDS
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