Government inaction is costing more Kiwis their jobs

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) is warning rising unemployment levels may now become the norm if the government continues to do nothing to create jobs and protect Kiwi workers.

The warning follows news today of a 6.8% increase in unemployment during the December 2010 quarter and a fall in employment of 11,000, bringing the total number of jobs lost since the December 2008 quarter to 24,900.

“The latest sharp increase in the unemployment figures signals that Kiwi workers are facing another difficult year,” says EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

“We’ve seen very little new hiring in the last two years and we know that it’s not picking up on the ground despite the recession technically being over.”

“The Government knows this and yet has done nothing to create new jobs or protect Kiwi workers during two years in power.”

“If we don’t see some serious new initiatives from the government very soon it’s highly likely that this high level of unemployment will become structural and that would be a disaster for working Kiwis and for New Zealand’s economy.”

“If this level of unemployment is allowed to be locked in we will face another lost decade of growth as we did when National were in power in the 1990s.”

“We can only hope that Mr Key and his government realise the clock is ticking and do something before it is too late.”

The EPMU is New Zealand’s largest private sector union, representing around 43,000 members across eleven industry sectors.

ENDS

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