Max Bradford

National Industrial Relations Spokesperson

Saturday 12 August 2000

National wants annual check-up on ERB's impact on jobs and strikes

National is moving today to lock into law an annual check-up of the impact of the Employment Relations Bill on jobs, industrial action and growth, National's Industrial Relations spokesperson Max Bradford said today.

Parliament is still sitting under urgency debating the detail of the Employment Relations Bill.

"New Zealanders must able to measure the success or failure of the legislation.

"There have been big concerns about the Employment Relations Bill's impact on the economy.

"National is moving amendments to the legislation to force the Government to report each year on the impact of the Bill on the creation or destruction of jobs, the creation of strikes and lock-outs, and the impact on growth and labour productivity.

"Including this annual check-up would let everyone know whether the Bill is a success or failure.

"The object of the Bill is to "build productive employment relationships" but the Government has not specified any way of measuring this

"Good employment legislation must allow businesses to hire more people. Under National the number of people in employment grew by over 36,000 a year so this Act should lead to employment growth of more than this.

"The number of industrial disputes (as measured by worker days lost) has fallen by around 98% from 330,000 person days in 1990 to 12,000 in 1998.

"The new Part 9(a) being proposed by National today will add accountability to the Employment Relations Bill."

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