Michael Woodhouse - Workplace Relations and Safety

23 March 2018

PM must condemn threatening union behaviour

The Prime Minister must condemn the latest threatening behaviour of the RMTU in the Lyttelton Port strike, National Party Workplace Relations Spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says.

“A union organiser has been delivering fliers around Christchurch with the name and address of one of the port’s board members on them,” Mr Woodhouse says.

“This is a clear attempt to get people to approach that person personally and place pressure on them to fold in behind the strikers.

“It’s threatening thuggish behaviour and it needs to be condemned and stopped.

“This is not the 1930s. It’s the 21st century and bully boy tactics should be long gone.

“It’s obvious that the union thinks it can get away with this sort of behaviour under a Labour Government. The Prime Minister needs to be make it clear they can’t.

“Jacinda Ardern and her Minister Iain Lees-Galloway need to publicly denounce this approach and make sure that these sorts of ugly tactics have no place in 21st century industrial relations.

“We can have robust negotiations about pay and conditions without encouraging personal attacks and abuse.”

ends

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