The Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sam Huggard says that tonight’s passing of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill will be a victory for working people over an expensive lobbying campaign run by big business. “This law allows Kiwis to access their basic rights at work, to make more informed choices about their employment, and help each other get a fairer deal,” he said.
“Kiwis like to help each other out, no matter who we are, where we are from or how much we earn. The Employment Relations Amendment Bill restores a culture of treating each other properly at work – respecting people’s right to a cuppa, to negotiate work around their lives and other responsibilities, and to have colleagues who can formally support them.”
“From the union delegate in a small-town meatworks who needs to help her workmates win safer hours, to the school leaver who needs job security so they can rent a flat, to the bus drivers who just want to get their employer to sit down and talk to them, this law will help. For the employers who need clarity around how to best to manage the people working for them, this law will deliver that, too.”
The rebalancing of employment expectations, away from long hours and low pay to a more modern and civilised way of operating is well overdue. We congratulate the Coalition Government for helping working people get ahead and win some decency at work with this law. We look forward to further progress soon, including women in paid work being able to access equal pay, and Fair Pay Agreements for our vulnerable Kiwi industries.”
