June 29, 2006

Media Release

You’re right Dr Mapp – it’s not worth it

National’s industrial relations spokesman has finally got it right – his no-rights-for-new-workers bill is not worth it, says the union leading the Work Rights, Our Right! campaign.

“The only reason for passing such a law would be to allow bad managers to manage people badly,” said Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little.

“Even Wayne Mapp can see that; he’s quoted in this morning’s DominionPost saying that including provisions to protect workers’ rights would make the bill ‘hardly worth it’.”

Mr Little said that workers welcomed a statement by United Future leader Peter Dunne that he was unlikely to continue supporting the bill if it applied to all workers changing jobs.

“This bill is being promoted as a way of getting the unemployed into jobs, but the fact is that it will affect every working person in New Zealand every time he or she changes jobs,” Mr Little said.

“This proposed law is really part of an agenda to strip away workers’ rights, and working people will not stand by and let that happen.”

The EPMU is organising mass rallies against the bill in Wellington on July 20 and Christchurch on July 22.

ENDS

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