30 October 2012: The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says the Government’s announcement that it will introduce legislation before year’s end to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 is a bad move that will be bad for workers.

NZNO industrial adviser, Susan Stewart says, “The rights of workers in this country are being stripped away. Our most vulnerable workers will be worse off with the removal of protections in section 6A. New workers can expect less than the rate in the collective agreement for the first 30 days, employers can refuse to conclude collective pay negotiations and the ability of workers to use collective power to balance employer power in pay negotiations will be reduced.”

“Workers have the right to wages and conditions that fairly recognise their skills. These changes will reduce fairness and reduce workers’ wages and conditions. A productive and healthy New Zealand cannot be built on unfair treatment of workers. A productive and health society can only be built through full engagement and fair treatment of all New Zealanders.”

“These changes are not about fairness or engagement. They are entirely about reducing workers’ rights and driving down wages and conditions,” Susan Stewart says.

“What New Zealand needs is a strong, productive economy based on decent wages and working conditions. These changes to legislation will erode workers’ rights and drive down wages and conditions. They are bad faith law and they will be bad for our society.”