Wayne Mapp MP
National Party Industrial Relations Spokesman
20 August 2006
Workers voting with their feet – Mapp
It’s hardly surprising that union membership is plummeting when unions are blatantly misusing their funds to promote the
Labour Party, says National’s Industrial Relations spokesman, Wayne Mapp.
Figures released by the Victoria University Industrial Relations Centre show that union membership has dropped by almost
100,000 since 2000.
Dr Mapp says workers are voting with their feet because they are fed up with their union fees lining Labour Party
coffers for no return.
An Investigate magazine report shows that the Service and Food Workers Union alone spent $237,000 working for Labour
during the last election.
“The unions have also poured more than $100,000 into a deliberate misinformation campaign that totally distorts the
issues around my Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill. For example, the CTU has said the bill
will lead to 89-day rolling contracts, which is absolute nonsense.
“I’m sure most union members would rather their union fees were spent serving workers than on this kind of illogical
hysteria and blatant politicking.
“But when more than half of Labour MPs and the vast majority of Ministers are former union representatives, it’s hardly
surprising they are in such cahoots.
“Workers are voting with their feet – abandoning unions in droves – but neither the unions nor their Labour Party
masters will take much notice while they continue to benefit from a sweetheart deal that totally ignores the fact that
1.8 million New Zealanders have chosen not to belong to a union,” says Dr Mapp.
Ends