National’s Employment Laws Grim for Working People

The new Government is expected to push through changes to employment law in the coming weeks that will damage the health and economic wellbeing of New Zealanders, Labour Leadership contender Grant Robertson, said.

"The Cabinet papers for this law acknowledge the changes will allow employers to reduce wage costs at a time when most kiwis are struggling to make their pay packets stretch, prices for basics like housing and electricity and food are going through the roof and the Finance Minister himself is saying wages should go up."

Grant Robertson asks "how is this supporting the 75% of kiwis that work for a living as their main form of economic security?"

"The law removes the protection for workers like cleaners when the contractor they work for changes to a contractor with less than 20 staff. This means that if a small company wins a contract based on reduced wages, those already doing the work are discarded. At a time when those cleaning our hospitals and schools are fighting for a living wage, this law operates to reduce their already megre incomes."

"The law also threatens the ability of groups of workers like teachers and nurses to effectively bargain by essentially making it unlawful for these workers to take industrial action to ensure their employers continue to bargain their multi employer collective agreements. Health Boards that are short of cash could walk away from agreements such as the national agreement covering nurses, meaning both nurses and patients in those regions receive inferior care and lack of Government funding is hidden."

Grant Robertson says "we are better than this and a Labour Government that I lead will introduce employment law that treats everyone as a citizen entitled to a fair go. In the meantime, I commit to supporting all workers that find themselves the victims on this latest Government attack on workers through activity and in Parliament ."

ENDS

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