Press release: Meat Workers Union

Tuesday, 15 May 2012 at 9.15am

Labour law changes have particular significance to locked out workers

New Zealand Council of Trade Union's president Helen Kelly will today speak out against proposed labour law changes at a meeting of locked out Talley's Affco workers at the Feilding Civic Center at 3pm.

Mrs Kelly says the changes have particular significance for Talley's Affco workers who have been locked out for 77 days.

One of the proposed changes allows companies to walk away from collective negotiations with their workers.

“National's labour law changes would allow Talley's to simply walk away from negotiations after causing months of unnecessary hardship to locked out Affco workers, their families and communities," she says.

The labour law changes were approved by cabinet yesterday and are expected to go before Parliament next year.

Mrs Kelly says Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson labelled of the most significant changes to labour law since the 1991 Employment Contract Act, as "modest" was irresponsible.

ENDS

© Scoop Media