NZ Workers Must Support Australians In Fight

“The New Zealand Alliance Party is calling on New Zealand workers to support the Australian Unions’ week long campaign of action against John Howard’s Government which is planning to introduce the ‘New Zealand Disease’ from 1 July,” said Paul Piesse, co-leader of the Alliance party today.

“Unions began major rallies from last Sunday and more are planned for Thursday 30 June in Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart and regional centres including Geelong, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Bunbury,” said Paul Piesse.

“Howard plans to introduce legislation to abolish protection from unfair dismissal for 4 million workers employed in companies with less than 100 staff. He also plans to allow employers to put workers onto individual contracts that cut take-home pay and reduce employment conditions to only 5 minimum standards – workers who refuse to sign would fear being sacked. He plans to change the way minimum wages are set to make them lower. Many workers would lose conditions like weekend, shift and public holiday rates; overtime; redundancy pay; allowances; and casual loadings as occurred in New Zealand in 1991,” said Paul Piesse.

Paul Piesse said it was Alliance policy to have a minimum wage of $15 (currently only $9.50) in New Zealand. “Their fight against the Right is our fight too. The Alliance is contacting sympathetic unions to encourage them to send support to the ACTU.”

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