National flip-flop on holidays ‘politically inevitable’ - union

News that a National government would not repeal the fourth week’s annual leave does not surprise the union that campaigned for it.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that repealing the fourth week’s leave legislation, brought in by Labour and the Progressives, would be politically difficult for the National Party.

“We welcome National’s decision, but we’re not blind to the reason,” he said.

“We know that a National government would have never introduced such a measure, and that it is not a party that has workers’ interests close to its heart.”

Mr Little said that working people were well aware of the fact that during its last term in government, National had tried to scrap statutory holidays.

“And they haven’t said they have changed their minds about that,” Mr Little said.