Media statement

Thursday, April 29th, 2004

Employers unanimously reject employment bill

A meeting of 230 employers this morning passed a unanimous resolution rejecting the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill.

The Employer Action Forum held at Alexandra Park in Auckland was called by the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) to decide what action employers should take to have the bill modified or withdrawn.

"The meeting went further in its resolution than the EMA proposed or the recommendation contained in the EMA submission," said EMA's chief executive, Alasdair Thompson.

"Most of the meeting's representatives then proceeded to where the Select Committee hearings were taking place in the same building and presented the resolution to the Committee.

"The resolution said:

'That this meeting unanimously rejects the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill and asks that it be referred for genuine good faith tri-partite consultation between Government, employers, non-union employees and unions, in accordance with the spirit of being a member of the ILO.'"

ENDS

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