Since Labour announced its Work and Wages Policy, there’s been the editorials repeating the “TINA” (There is no Alternative) lines of yesteryear and arguing for trickle down. Then there’s those who have an in-built opposition to anything that might improve the lot of working people, and an aversion to those dreadful organisations called “unions” – the 370,000 New Zealanders who are part of today’s unions.
This is old National at their worse. It’s they who haven’t changed and who are out of touch. They need to catch up with the reality of work and wages for most New Zealanders and they need to tune into the debate that’s happening around the world about the failure of the orthodoxy of the last 20 years.
When Labour introduced the Employment Relations Act (ERA) in 2000, we heard the same rubbish from some National MPs who are now Ministers and others best forgotten. The ERA was going to be the end of the world, while today, most will concede that it was very modest regulation indeed.
Eleven years ago, this is what Jenny Shipley, Max Bradford, Gerry Brownlee and Richard Prebble said in Parliament.
Rt Hon. JENNY SHIPLEY (Leader of the Opposition): Welcome to Jurassic Park. This is a step backwards for New Zealand…… Taking New Zealand back to ideas that most people thought were extinct is no way to forge the future for this country. I do give notice here that the Government would have been far better to build on the strengths of the Employment Contracts Act, rather than destroy them and try to reintroduce some notions that most people thought had seriously gone 50 years ago, or more.
Hon. MAX BRADFORD (NZ National): … why is the Labour-Alliance Government digging up all the old processes, the old institutions, the old dinosaurs of the past in order to get it? One of the reasons that the Employment Contracts Act was introduced in 1991 was the old system under the industrial relations legislation, the Labour Relations Act, was not working. Yet here we have a grand march backwards into the past to try to assert—because that is all it is; an assertion—that somehow or other employment relationships will improve, growth will improve, and we will get more jobs out of this approach to industrial relations……. there are people who are waiting to leave this country because it will be too difficult under this legislation to employ people and to invest.
Hon. RICHARD PREBBLE (Leader—ACT NZ):…. Who do the Alliance, the Labour Party, and the Greens think they are fooling? This bill is compulsory unionism by the back door. We know what the consequences will be. It is well known that the country’s port unions have already been meeting. They have already agreed that they will be asking for a collective agreement. When this bill comes into effect on 1 August, they will be making a demand to every single port in the country for a collective agreement—in other words, a national award. They are prepared to go on strike to get it. It is already well known that the North Island freezing works sheds—the unions—have already met. They have already agreed on their collective agreement, and the moment this law comes into effect they intend to exercise industrial muscle to get that agreement.
GERRY BROWNLEE (NZ National—Ilam): …… This bill, dressed up as a herald of integrity and individual choice in industrial relations, is nothing more than another step on the long march backward that this Labour-Alliance Government is determined to inflict on New Zealand. This bill rips out any element of trust and mutual respect from industrial relations in this country. It is based on the premise that the employer is always wrong. It is based on the premise that there is an intrinsic, irreconcilable difference between employers and employees. Always it is the employer who is the guilty party, regardless of the circumstances. This bill is the most unbalanced legislation that could ever have been introduced in the industrial relations area.
Eleven years ago, according to the National Party, employment law change was going to be the end of the world. Did the world end? No, of course it didn’t. In fact we had good growth, low unemployment, no debt and an improving social outlook.
Thank goodness there are some real thinkers contributing to the modern conversation about how we build a better and fairer economy and society.
Here’s a good piece on wages from Bill Rosenberg today.
Commendations on heading back to being a real Labour party again.
Good on you all.
Keep it up and you will get my electorate vote back, for the first time since 1984.
Fair question I hope, but why wasn’t this legislation not brought in during the 9 years Labour was in Government?
Has Labour involved any employers in the development of this policy? or anyone who has actually been an employer in the private sector? It seems like one-sided policy for unions by unions.
Yee haa! Labour has good Labour policy!
!
Excellent, something for us real workers, rather than those multi-millionaires chasing photo-ops.
Tories saying what Tories have always said. No news there. However, you have a new policy. Can one of you please explain to me how it will help to create new, sustainable, well-paid jobs? Anyone?
TINA is not back. This is the last gasp of the confused and perplexed old guard as their power fades. The Occupy movement, which new surveys show has the support of the majority, proves TINA’s days are numbered.
Oh, and one other thing, how will cash strapped SMEs pay for the “higher wages and salaries” and the new investment in the “better technology and raising the skills of their employees” that Rosenberg demands? Again, anyone?
Jennifer – some asked that same question about the abolishment of slavery, unequal gender pay and youth rates. Others just got on and did the right thing.
This is much better labour policy for Labour, and if it’s implemented all workers will hopefully start to receive a wage that enables them to live a happier life – not living week to week on minimum wage madness.
And hopefully the greedy buggers at the top will see their incomes rightfully reduced. If they leave for so-called ‘greener’ pastures, then good riddance.
I just hope Labour keeps their latest labour/industrial relations policies in their manifesto for the 2014 election, just in case they miss out on 26 November.
Comparing wages to what workers in similar jobs elsewhere get ?
Happens all the time – for executives and even MPs seem to a salary linked to some level in the public service.
The result, those salaries have’ kept up’ or increased their relative share over the years
Why isn’t Bill Rosenberg in the Parliamentary wing of the Labour Party ? He makes sense. Or is he directing from the outside ?
Cloaca , do you mean like Don Brash is directing ACT from the visitors gallery of the house?
Not everybody wants to be an MP so some become full time advisors , others just work a specific policy- happens all the time.
National used tax payer funded ‘panels’ to work on new policy ideas for the last three years- Don Brash springs to mind again.
Of course Dons work went straight into the bin as it was dismissed by Key, but Brash kept the cheque as he wasnt paid on results just the number of pages produced. Go figure that one out ?
“those dreadful organisations called “unions” – the 370,000 New Zealanders who are part of today’s unions.” What about the remaining MILLIONS of people who are not members by choice? Are the majority not your constituency? When Labour starts writing its own policies that resonate with middle New Zealand and stop pandering and asking the Unions what policies they would like, then perhaps people will listen. Sadly these are the policies of yesteryear.
@Dave…the union membership was even higher during the 9 years Labour was in government. You would have thought that when they had higher membership this policy would have been brought in. You have to ask, why was this policy not offered at the 2008 election, after all Darien was around then too. For me it smacks too much of a policy similar to interest free loans than for the good of the workers.
Good post Darien. It is useful to be reminded that every time that Labour wants to improve the position of workers in New Zealand by lifting the wages of the lowest paid, they are told that it is “unaffordable”, “a bit step backwards” and will result in the end of the world as we have known it.
We have heard these criticisms during the nine years of a Labour Government when the Employment Relations Act was introduced, when the 4th weeks annual leave was introduced, when public holiday pay, sick leave, bereavement leave, parental leave and other minimum provisions were improved and worst of all, when health and safety provisions were improved.
After a while you just get plain sick of it.
@Jennifer : you should read the rest of Labour’s economic policies on http://www.labour.org.nz (and there’s more to come)
@Indiana : so are you saying that Labour should stick to all past policies, and never change course because we didn’t do things while we were in government? This policy smacks of nothing other than Labour wanting to see higher wages for workers.
@Dave : in case you hadn’t noticed, our policy will advance wages for all workers. No-one has to join a union – and as for “pandering to unions” – that’s what Jenny Shipley and Richard Prebble said way back when.