The Maori Party just voted with National and Act on gutting the meals and restbreaks legislation that Labour brought in in 2008.
I don’t get it. The Maori Party says it stands up for the vulnerable and the powerless. They make fine speeches about it all the time. During the debate on the get the sack in 90 days bill, Pita Sharples said :
Our policy for workers is to support, uphold and extend their rights – particularly to make workplaces and work legislation more worker and whanau friendly,” said Co-leader Dr Pita Sharples.
Well, this bill actually takes away the rights of workers to a break at work, unless the employer agrees and even then, the break could be one minute long. It makes the workplace less worker and whanau friendly, and it makes the workplace less safe.
The day after we remembered the 6000 New Zealand workers who have been killed or injured on the job, a bill that will ensure that health and safety is compromised has been supported by the Maori Party.
This will particularly affect the vulnerable and the powerless – the non-unionised, small workplaces, the low-paid and the marginalised.
I’m confused, but I’m also disappointed. When it comes to workers’ rights, I’m happy to have allies wherever we can find them in this parliament, but I’m left guessing about the Maori Party.
I am with you Darien. It is a disgrace that the Legislation was necessary in the first place-sadly there are employers who deny breaks and mean that the rights of vulnerable workers must be protected by Government. Many of the workers most affected are Maori. Shame on the Maori party. One less protection in place, one more reason for working New Zealanders to head to Australia.
The Maori party have long since forgotten about Labour, I’m not sure they will be too concerned about what you think.
It took long enough, going back to “Blackball 08” when West coast miners first struck for breaks to be provided at work, to achieve formal recognition of this need, and now this retrograde measure. Some mall operators will just love the thought of one retail worker in a cubicle store crossing their legs for several hours via this type of legislation.
Well, join your union is all I can say and negotiate a better deal than this miserable legislation.
As for the Maori Party, it represents certain elements of Maori, just as the National Party, represents certain elements of pakeha. The Maori Party is not pan iwi in reality, or exempt from recognised class definitions. By it’s actions so far it belongs in the conservative and right aligned parliamentary groupings.
“Our policy for workers is to support, uphold and extend their rights”
pour me a tui!!
Its disgraceful, the way they keep stabbing maori in the back – wonder what they sold this vote for…
I’ll drink with you on this one.
What a bleepin disgrace 
NACT thinks they will up the productivity of the country by wailing on the labour force. That’s as advanced as NACT’s, “the party of business” economic thinking goes.
Pressure the 80% of workers at the bottom of the heap and give bonuses to the other 20% for helping make it happen. Simply inspirational.
In response to KiwiReader
You’re right – the Maori party don’t give much for what the Labour Party think. Justifiably.
What interests me, though is their complete and seemingly shameless sell out, though. The ETS, mining, privatising ACC and prisons, beneficiary bashing and now workers rights.
Pita, Tariana et al have sold their souls to one of the nastiest Tory mobs we’ve had. MP is now basically a brown Tory party. Some say – well they always were but, as Darien points out, that’s not what a good deal of their policy says.
Pita used to make the point that the MP were a party for ALL New Zealanders. They’re not now.
.
This is a big let down by the MP (another one). Ive long felt that Labour needs to develop a working relationship with the MP if it wants to govern next year and beyond. Im now thinking that Labour should run a very hard campaign in the Maori electorates next year. The voting record of the MP is in stark contrast to their policy and this truth will resonate with Maori.
The Maori Party simply goes where the money is. In this case, National. The Maori Party is just a club for politicaly correct hypocrites.