ERA Amendments Not Welcome

For immediate release:
ERA amendments not welcome

"New employment relations legislation tabled in Parliament today that promotes collective bargaining and multi employer agreements above individual agreements is unwelcome by early childhood sector employees and employers," says ECC CEO Sue Thorne.

The early childhood sector has over 10,000 employees and only 8% of these are in a collective agreement.

The 1750 early childhood education and care centres in NZ are predominantly small businesses with the owner working closely alongside her 5 - 6 employees. This close relationship formed between owner and worker is built on good communication, mutual trust, and mutual respect.

92% of early childhood staff have chosen individual agreements because they are comfortable with negotiating their agreements directly with their employer. They see no valid place for a third party in the form of a union interfering in their employment relationship. Mrs Thorne says "It is an insult to suggest that these workers are not capable of negotiating with their own employer and in some way need the protection of big brother."

Mrs Thorne questions whether this government has listened to small businesses at all when designing the new legislation. If they had, surely they would have realised that foisting unwanted unions and multi employer collective agreements on those who clearly do not want them is both unnecessary and potentially destructive to good workplace relations.

ENDS

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