22 July 2002

CTU report shows need for work and family enquiry

The CTU's "Interim Report of the Thirty Families Project: The Impact of Work Hours on New Zealand Families", released today, adds urgency to the Progressive Coalition's call for a Commission of Inquiry into balancing work and family, says leader Jim Anderton.

"Progressive Coalition has made and inquiry a top priority in a coalition agreement.

"The report clearly shows that too many workers are being pressured to work long hours creating stress and health risks for workers and their families. Working families are faced with a difficult challenge in balancing the demands of both work and their families.

"A Commission of Inquiry is urgently needed to investigate the pressures families face and the steps we can take. We must work out how to reduce stresses on families by taking action on childcare, after school care, trading hours and holidays. And most importantly, we agree with the CTU that hours of work must be brought much more into line with a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

“Not all the solutions lie with the Government. Some are in the hands of employers and others in the attitudes we all have to work and family. We will put the issues on the table," said Jim Anderton.

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