Labour "Expert" Ignorant on Problems of Low-Paid Workers

A visiting labour "expert" has little understanding of the situation of
thousands of low-paid workers who face losing their jobs when the work they
do is transferred to another employer, Council of Trade Unions president
Ross Wilson said today.
Alan Wild was brought to this country by Business New Zealand and is backing
the lobby group's opposition to proposed law changes to protect vulnerable
workers such as cleaners who face unemployment and no redundancy if their
employer loses a contract.

The CTU met with Alan Wild yesterday to discuss protections for these
workers, Ross Wilson said. "Alan Wild appeared to have no understanding of
New Zealand employment law and in particular our law on redundancy.

"He also seemed to have a very limited understanding of the Employment
Relations Law Reform Bill."

Alan Wild's visit is a further example of business lobby groups "crying
wolf" over the Bill, Ross Wilson said. "The Bill is a set of very modest
changes which will have very little impact on good employers."