Union Anti-freeloader Proposal OK with ILO

“Anti-freeloader provisions in collective agreements have been approved by the International Labour Organisation as entirely consistent with freedom of association principles,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

Business N Z yesterday claimed that union anti-freeloader proposals breach the ILO freedom of association conventions on which the Employment Relations Act is based.

“The ILO judicial committees have ruled that it is perfectly legal for employers and unions to conclude collective agreements which provide for all seek to get the benefit from it to pay towards the cost of negotiating it,” said Ross Wilson.

“Such an arrangement is no different from any other condition of employment which may bind employees and the employer.”

Ross Wilson said Business N Z was scaremongering again.

“Its very experienced Executive Director must know that the international law laid down by the ILO permits these anti-freeloader arrangements in collective agreements where they have been agreed between the employer and the union,” he said.

“Union members are fed up with non union members freeloading on their collective agreement benefits”.

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