Wayne Mapp MP
National Party Industrial Relations Spokesman

19 July 2006

Massive increase in strikes as unions flex muscles

National’s Industrial Relations spokesman, Wayne Mapp, says a massive 550% increase in work days lost to strikes is the direct result of Labour’s union-centric employment policies and will cost many millions of dollars.

Information released by Statistics New Zealand shows 32,762 person days of work were lost to industrial action in the year ending March 2006, up from 5,079 during the same period the previous year.

Dr Mapp says Labour’s amendments to the Employment Relations Act have allowed the unions to flex their muscles and the whole economy is suffering.

“The impact on productivity and our essential industries will be many millions of dollars, and will continue to get worse unless something is done to fix this stifling legislation.

“This increasing strike action marks a return to the bad old days of compulsion and union domination. Labour has made it much more difficult to do business in this country.

“In Government, National will strip out the monopoly powers of the unions under the Employment Relations Act and remove the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ nature of industrial law,” says Dr Mapp.

ENDS

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