CTU slams Oz law changes as mad ideology

Thursday, 3 November 2005, 12:20 am
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

Media Release
03 November 2005

CTU slams Oz law changes as mad ideology

“The Howard industrial law changes are a clear case of mad ideology over rational policy,” CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

Radical industrial relations law changes were introduced in a 687 page Bill into the Australian Federal Parliament yesterday.

“This unprecedented attack on the workers’ rights will be bad for the Australian economy and bad for Australian workers,” Ross Wilson said.

“It makes the same fundamental mistake that the Employment Contracts Act did in New Zealand in the 1990s,” he said. “It also highlights what we could expect from a Brash Government in New Zealand.”

“The proposed law will encourage employers to focus on cutting wages and conditions of employment instead of improving skills, innovation and productivity.”

“The Australian CTU Secretary has already committed the union movement to overturn these laws however long it may take and New Zealand unions will be supporting them all the way.”

“Yesterday Maori workers living in Australia performed a haka outside Parliament in Canberra to voice their opposition to the changes. In New Zealand we are already organising protest activity on the 15th November in support of Australian workers.”

ENDS

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New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

Te Kauae Kaimahi

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi brings together over 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions. We are the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.

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