Problems
Labour’s Employment Relations Act has already destroyed jobs. It has substantially increased the cost of employment while doing nothing to promote either fairness or productivity.
The new law increases compliance costs for employers, while increasing powers and privileges of unions. Trade unions have full right of access to work sites and employers must collect union fees for them. They have the right to see companies' financial books and can require employers to pay for stop work meeting and trade union 'education'. Strike-breaking is for the first time in New Zealand illegal.
Under their new law, Labour expects to receive millions of dollars in extra financial support from trade unions, funded by their increased membership dues.
ACT’s Principles
- Full employment is a more important objective than union strength.
- Full employment requires a flexible labour market and a pro-work welfare system, complemented by a broader range of policies, from sound economic policies to education and training.
- Respect for freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom of contract in the workplace.
Proposals: Full-employment needs a range of policies.
- All specialist employment authorities, tribunals and courts should be abolished. The general courts are capable of handling all legal issues that arise from employment.
- Review the Holidays Act to simplify and to allow employees more freedom.
- Where income assistance is needed it should be delivered directly from the taxpayer and not legislated for via wage codes.
- Sound industrial relations and full employment requires a full range of policies and different, more entrepreneurial, values: Sound economic and fiscal policies to encourage sustainable growth. flexibility of work time. an entrepreneurial culture and legislative framework which encourages and rewards "giving it a go". measures to encourage employers to offer work to young people and the long term unemployed. social welfare reform to encourage a return to work. competitive ACC and voluntary insurance. lower compliance costs. lower taxation. sanctity of contract. and protection of property rights.
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