All rights at work under threat, Government confirms 9.9.10

The Government is paving the way for a return to the ruthless eradication of workers’ rights according to the statement of stand-in Labour minister Pansy Wong in Parliament today, said the CTU.

In response to questioning from Labour’s Darien Fenton on whether the Government was planning any further changes to employment law not already included in those announced at the National Party conference in July, Wong replied that everything was up for consideration and nothing was ruled out.

“Pansy Wong has signalled a very grave threat to every single worker in New Zealand,” said CTU President Helen Kelly. “She did not rule out, for example, employers contracting out of personal grievance provisions already in danger of being weakened by existing proposals. This would mean, for example, employers being allowed to set different personal grievance rights for different employees.”

“She also refused to rule out reviews of protections for those on temporary and fixed term contracts or the reintroduction of a youth minimum wage. Given the revelations about the ACT Party’s role in pushing through the 90 day fire-at-will law for all businesses it should be no surprise to see the door being opened to more of Roger Douglas’s failed policies, but it should set the alarm bells ringing for everyone.”

“In the space of little more than a year John Key has gone from a willingness to work together with unions on common ground to a full-on attack on their fundamental rights and has now signalled that anything goes on the cutting back of employment rights to an extent that recalls the Employment Contracts Act of the 1990s.”

“No one can now think that the Government’s employment law reforms don’t affect them. Their job security and their future prosperity are now firmly in the firing line.”

For further information contact:

Helen Kelly, President, CTU
04 802 3812 / 021 776 741