"I have been waiting to hear the Minister of Labour, Margaret Wilson show good faith under her new employment law by announcing the prosecution of the commuter train staff who inconvenienced and frustrated thousands with yesterday's unlawful wildcat strike," says ACT's Justice spokesman Stephen Franks.

"Employers trying to keep up service quality standards and even observe legal requirements to protect the workplace environment for other employees face endless procedural hurdles in getting rid of dud employees.

"But when a few can waste the time of thousands the bias in the new law becomes obvious.

"The new law is full of remedies for the sacked employee whose dismissal prompted the strike. The strike was allegedly to get in a mediator - but that is just one of a range of things that the union or the employee could arrange without any strike.

"Does this show the CTU can't hold to its deal with the Government to suppress exploitation of the new law against employers - for at least long enough to get it bedded in - so people don't blame the Government for the trouble?

"The Wellington Regional Council is looking at buying our commuter trains but there is a far more obvious responsibility on behalf of Wellington Regional residents - they should be making sure that unlawful disruption does not become a worse problem than shabby train carriages.

"I call on the Wellington Regional Council to demand enforcement of the law instead of wasting ratepayers' money on trying to become the owner of a business that could be looted by industrial strikes over the next few years," Stephen Franks said.

Ends

© Scoop Media