The
passing of the law requiring unions to conduct a secret
ballot of their members before going on strike is a welcome
step, says David Lowe, Employment Services Manager for the
Employers & Manufacturers Association.
"Virtually every
time there is a strike the employers finds individual union
members telling them they don't support it and would prefer
to work," Mr Lowe said.
"A few outspoken people can make
it appear there is strong worker support for a strike when
in fact there may not be.
"Quite a few unions, such as the
Engineers Union already conduct secret ballots so this law
change really only affects a few unions like the Maritime
Union which have resisted them.
"While it will still be a
year before secret ballots become mandatory, and two years
before unions must change their rules, employers will expect
them to be carried out for every relevant occasion from now
on."
If you're using Scoop for work, your organisation needs to pay a small license fee with Scoop Pro. We think that's fair, because your organisation is benefiting from using our news resources. In return, we'll also give your team access to pro news tools and keep Scoop free for personal use, because public access to news is important!
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else... More
Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More
Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More
Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More
Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More