Labour industrial relations spokesperson Pete Hodgson today welcomed a survey showing that a clear majority of employers endorse Labour's policy in wanting the Holidays Act cleaned up.

"Labour has promised to clean up the Holidays Act - with simpler and fairer leave and holidays entitlements.

"We already knew that employees want their entitlements spelt out clearly - about 80 percent of all complaints received by the Labour Inspectorate concern the payment of annual or public holidays. The Simpson Grierson survey shows that this is precisely what employers want too.

"The survey makes unpleasant reading for National. While Max Bradford announced the clean-up the employers seek back in July 1998 - and received public support from Labour - he failed to proceed with his own announcement. The reason is that he is addicted to ideology.

"It is no secret that Max wants to revive his barmy plan to introduce tradeable holiday rights and sell Christmas. The Act Party, predictably, fully supports this. Aside from its draconian nature, such a move would make the rules governing holidays even more cumbersome and perplexing.

"Interestingly the survey finds that employers are much more progressive than are their supposed champions in the Employers' Federation-National-Act axis. While the new right bloc want to slash workers' holiday entitlements, the Simpson Grierson survey found that many employers are providing greater benefits than required to by law," Mr Hodgson said.

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