MEDIA RELEASE

24 June 2005

CTU Warns Workers Against National

“The CTU will be sounding a serious warning to working people about what they could expect from a National Government,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

Union leaders representing more than 300,000 union members in the public and private sectors met in Wellington today to discuss General Election issues.

“The National Party’s industrial relations policy makes crystal clear that it would take us back to the adversarial days of the 1990s with the policies that left us with low wages, child poverty, and skill shortages that still hamper economic and social development today,” Ross Wilson said.

“The policy signals an all-out attack on wages and minimum code protections,” he said. “There will be a return to old-fashioned union-bashing.”

Under National policy, workers could expect lower wage increases, reduced employment security, cuts in holiday, sick and bereavement leave, and reduced health and safety protection at work.

“CTU unions decided today to take a campaign to working New Zealanders.

“The essential message will be that they will pay several times over in reduced wages and public services, and increased interest rates and prices, for any tax cut a National Government promises.

“Workers need wage increases, not tax cuts,” Ross Wilson said.

ENDS

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