Go Hard, New Zealand Business
Friday 13 Dec 2002 Deborah Coddington Press Releases -- Economy
Now is the time for every employer in this country to speak out against the Labour Government's hidden agenda to strip
them of their rights, ACT New Zealand Business Development Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.
"Today's National Business Review has revealed Margaret Wilson's proposal, circulating among employers, to bring back
compulsory unionism, give workers the right to strike over social and economic issues and enforce pay equity.
"The scariest proposal however - scary even for Margaret Wilson - is the plan for guaranteed continuity of employment.
This means when the owner of a business sells it, or even contracts out services, then existing workers must be kept on
under the same wages and conditions.
"Can you imagine the nightmare this would mean for businesses that contract for cleaning, and this would include almost
every business - large or small - in New Zealand? Every time they decide to change the contract, will this mean they
must guarantee all the current contractees continued employment at the same pay and conditions?
"Not enough business people are speaking out on these issues," says Deborah Coddington. "Those big names on the
Knowledge Wave Trust and the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board, who claim they have the ear of Helen and are
influencing this government, are soft.
"It's time for them to get hard and give the Prime Minister some facts about how an economy goes forward.
"Enough talk-fests. No more consultancy whiteboard speak with buzz words like `incrementalism'.
"Let's have some do-fests: lower taxes, cut red tape, and dump socialist legislation along with corporate welfare,"
Miss Coddington said.
For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at
act@parliament.govt.nz.