Go Hard, New Zealand Business

Friday 13 Dec 2002 Deborah Coddington Press Releases -- Economy

Now is the time for every employer in this country to speak out against the Labour Government's hidden agenda to strip them of their rights, ACT New Zealand Business Development Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

"Today's National Business Review has revealed Margaret Wilson's proposal, circulating among employers, to bring back compulsory unionism, give workers the right to strike over social and economic issues and enforce pay equity.

"The scariest proposal however - scary even for Margaret Wilson - is the plan for guaranteed continuity of employment. This means when the owner of a business sells it, or even contracts out services, then existing workers must be kept on under the same wages and conditions.

"Can you imagine the nightmare this would mean for businesses that contract for cleaning, and this would include almost every business - large or small - in New Zealand? Every time they decide to change the contract, will this mean they must guarantee all the current contractees continued employment at the same pay and conditions?

"Not enough business people are speaking out on these issues," says Deborah Coddington. "Those big names on the Knowledge Wave Trust and the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board, who claim they have the ear of Helen and are influencing this government, are soft.

"It's time for them to get hard and give the Prime Minister some facts about how an economy goes forward.

"Enough talk-fests. No more consultancy whiteboard speak with buzz words like `incrementalism'.

"Let's have some do-fests: lower taxes, cut red tape, and dump socialist legislation along with corporate welfare," Miss Coddington said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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