Revolt in MBIE ranks should leave Government red-faced

National's so-called strategy for better wages is fast unravelling with their own employment policy advisers going on strike against a pay offer of 1 per cent, Labour's spokesperson on Labour Issues Andrew Little says.

"It's a monumental embarrassment for the Government that one day they are crowing about how successful their employment law changes are and the next the people who actually put that advice together announce strike action.

"Staff at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment are right to reject a pay offer of just 1 per cent – with a conditional 1 per cent clawback in salary scale - when their political masters have spent months claiming the nation's workers have enjoyed average pay rises of 3.2 per cent.

“As Finance Minister Bill English says: ‘I think there is going to be an expectation, particularly by those people with skills in demand, that they will be doing better than zero pay increases’.

"Anyone who has worked in the private sector knows that the first law of marketing is that your staff are the best ambassadors of your product or service, and once they've lost faith no one else should believe in it.

"Steven Joyce and Simon Bridges, along with Mr English, are in no position to lecture workers or employers on good employment practice.

"The reality is we need a better wage-setting system for New Zealand and the Government should set the standard when it comes to employment practice.”

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