What exactly is National’s Agenda For Work Rights?

“National needs to start spelling out exactly what it would do with worker rights, after mixed messages from the party on the matter,” CTU president Helen Kelly said, following National Party industrial relations spokesperson Kate Wilkinson’s speech to a business audience in Auckland this morning.

“Industrial relations has been a traditional point of difference between the main parties. While it may be reassuring to hear from the National spokesperson that they would do nothing that would cut working conditions, this is at odds with public statements on the party’s website, and how they have voted in Parliament.”

“The one area that Kate Wilkinson was clear on today was that National is still promoting a law change that would expose 700,000 working New Zealanders to unfair sacking and discrimination every year, after their 90-Days-no-rights bill was resoundingly beaten in Parliament in 2006. This is a cut in conditions, and another contradiction.”

“And given National has opposed every decent piece of employment policy over the last nine years, including four weeks annual leave, paid parental leave and time and a half for statutory holiday work, it’s important if things have changes that they let people know how.”

“What are they afraid of? It’s time to start seeing some policy on what working conditions they would cut, not just words,” Helen Kelly said.