Another kick in the teeth for Kiwi workers

new-zealand-labour-party

Fri Oct 28 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Another kick in the teeth for Kiwi workers

Friday, 28 October 2011, 12:13 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

National's plans to deal to workers' rights go against international best practice and will do nothing to stimulate our already low-wage economy, says Labour's spokesperson for Labour Issues, Darien Fenton.

"Slashing collective bargaining provisions won't create a single job, while removing the requirement to conclude negotiations is likely to result in prolonged industrial disputes with no incentive for either side to settle.
"It's the same old, same old. It is the Employment Contracts Act in drag. These same ideas were tried in the 1990s and they failed.

"Youth unemployment ballooned, wages were cut, and the gap between New Zealand and Australia widened," Darien Fenton said.

"This Government has no ideas on how to improve wages and productivity, and no ideas on how to improve the economy.

"Enabling employers to opt out of multi-employer bargaining will put major agreements at risk in the health sector and in key manufacturing industries such as the Plastics and metals industries.

"And putting workers straight on to individual agreements when they start work is a sop to big businesses already making huge profits, courtesy of hard-working low-paid staff. It will ensure collective agreements are further undermined and workers denied a genuine choice to join a union.

"Allowing bosses to partially reduce pay where employees are taking action such as overtime bans or a work-to-rule during negotiations also weakens the ability of Kiwi workers trying to improve wages and conditions.

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"These changes will make it harder for thousands of Kiwis to get a fair deal at work and they will destroy years of working towards improving workplace relationships,' Darien Fenton said.

"With this kind of industrial law in place John Key will have successfully steered the country backwards, with low wages and long hours becoming our point of competitiveness."

Authorised by Darien Fenton, MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

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