FIRST Union is calling for a moratorium on planned ‘sector agreements’ while real consultation on the controversial policy is carried out with unions and affected workforces, cautioning that the short-sighted migration changes will drive down wages for New Zealanders in key national industries such as construction.

"The proposed sector agreements represent our current Government giving up on long-term investment in several key industries and instead reverting to National’s historical approach of filling workforce shortages with cheaper migrant labour," said Dennis Maga, FIRST Union General Secretary.

"As the union for construction workers, we come across many newly-resident and Pasefika workers in Aotearoa who are predominantly employed by labour hire firms, with many desperate for more training, more hours and a bigger contribution to the industry, but reinvestment in these people has been lacking."

"The flow-on effect is that new migrant workers, who can now be hired on antisocial rates well below market value, could be cheaper and preferential candidates to New Zealanders applying for the same roles, representing significant downward pressure on wages overall."

"The rationale for excluding sectors like construction from median wage requirements is paper-thin and flies in the face of current wage growth in these sectors."

Mr Maga rejected Immigration Minister Michael Wood’s claim that unions were consulted about the proposed ‘sector agreements’ in advance and had approved of the idea.

"FIRST Union would never support a set of policy changes that are so detrimental to our local and migrant members, their wages at work and the longevity of the important industries they work in," said Mr Maga.

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