Labour industrial relations spokesperson Pete Hodgson today welcomed a survey showing that a clear majority of employers
endorse Labour's policy in wanting the Holidays Act cleaned up.
"Labour has promised to clean up the Holidays Act - with simpler and fairer leave and holidays entitlements.
"We already knew that employees want their entitlements spelt out clearly - about 80 percent of all complaints received
by the Labour Inspectorate concern the payment of annual or public holidays. The Simpson Grierson survey shows that this
is precisely what employers want too.
"The survey makes unpleasant reading for National. While Max Bradford announced the clean-up the employers seek back in
July 1998 - and received public support from Labour - he failed to proceed with his own announcement. The reason is that
he is addicted to ideology.
"It is no secret that Max wants to revive his barmy plan to introduce tradeable holiday rights and sell Christmas. The
Act Party, predictably, fully supports this. Aside from its draconian nature, such a move would make the rules governing
holidays even more cumbersome and perplexing.
"Interestingly the survey finds that employers are much more progressive than are their supposed champions in the
Employers' Federation-National-Act axis. While the new right bloc want to slash workers' holiday entitlements, the
Simpson Grierson survey found that many employers are providing greater benefits than required to by law," Mr Hodgson
said.