“Expanding the Employment Relations Bill to permit employees to strike for reasons other than in support of negotiations over a collective agreement, however laudable the intention, would guarantee only the erosion of New Zealand’s global competitiveness”, said Simon Carlaw, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation.

Mr Carlaw was commenting on the suggestion that the Bill be expanded to enable employees to strike in support of environmental and human rights issues not necessarily related to their place of work.

“Why an individual employer should be asked to pay for any perceived shortcomings in the wider community on human rights or environmental issues is beyond me. Who, for that matter, is going to determine what is an appropriate non-workplace issue on which employees are going to be asked to strike?

“The Employment Relations Bill has a particular focus and framework, and it would be wrong to misuse the considerable power engendered by the ability to strike in support of issues more properly addressed in other arenas such as Parliament.”

Emds