Council of Trade Union boycotts and protest action against the Fijian crisis will do more harm than good, Opposition Industrial Relations spokesperson Max Bradford said today.

"Boycotts and protests initiated by New Zealand unions won't have any direct impact on George Speight. They would instead hurt the very people the unions say they are trying to help, the residents of Fiji.

"The union proposals also send a clear message to employers that the unions will take action over social and economic issues - something they want written into the Employment Relations Bill.

"It looks more like the roar of a dinosaur that we haven't seen for ten years.

"What's happening in Fiji is an appalling abuse of democracy. Union action boycotting shipping and cargo services is no answer."

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