The NZ Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is standing in solidarity with workers affected by the latest round of public service job losses and calls on the Government to stop their reckless attacks on essential public services, said CTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“These cuts have a massive impact on services that save New Zealanders lives, as we can see with cuts to the Suicide Prevention Office, but we also must not lose sight of the devastating impact job losses are having on thousands of families across the country,” said Wagstaff.

“Many of these workers are low paid and already struggling to get by, serving their communities in jobs that deliver essential services for the public.

“Hearing stories of laid-off workers having to pull their kids out of childcare and stop mortgage repayments demonstrates the real heartbreaking impact of public service cuts.

“It is the role of government to invest in services and prevent rising unemployment. Yet here we have a government that is actively pushing people into unemployment in their ideological pursuit of tax cuts for landlords and high-income earners.

“These ongoing job losses highlight the importance of the income insurance scheme the Government axed in haste. It would mean any workers who lose their jobs would continue to receive a decent income while they look to find a good job that utilises their skills and experience.

“New Zealand workers are among those with the lowest levels of redundancy protection in the world. As we deal with a challenging global economy, now should be the time to give workers more income and economic security – rather than less,” said Wagstaff.

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