29 March 2016

Govt must do more to prepare for future of workers at NZ Post

The Government can’t just stand by and watch as NZ Post cuts 500 jobs without having a plan to help workers through the transition and into new roles, says Opposition Leader Andrew Little.

“The changes at NZ Post have been known about for years. Instead of being bystanders, National should be working with the SOE, unions and businesses to ensure a decent work transition for employees instead of leaving them on the scrapheap.

“There is no plan for the future from National. NZ Post workers are in a rapidly changing industry – the Government should be actively looking at ways to encourage new sectors and innovative businesses to create new jobs for these people.

“The truth is there are very few jobs or training for some of these people. That’s because the Government isn’t preparing for a future where almost half of all jobs are going to disappear.

“The do-nothing approach is a stark contrast to Labour’s successful Future of Work Conference last week that put forward ideas to prepare for the changing nature of work.

“We need to get ahead of the game to prevent wholesale job losses. There’s no better example of this than NZ Post.

“The Government must be an active player in adapting to the future of work. The fact National won’t even lift a finger to work with NZ Post shows they have no intention of preparing for the future,” says Andrew Little.

ends

© Scoop Media