Indian Newslink March 1 2018 Digital Edition

MARCH 1, 2018
02 Homelink
National MP slams EmploymentReforms as retrograde
Kanwaljit
Singh Bakshi
Itseems that the Labour-led
government hasbeen formed
with only one agenda; that is
to strengthen the rights ofits
voter base; the Unions.
In the process of strengthening
Union rights, itisclear that the
Labour Party wantstoignore the
82.3% of workers whodonot belong
to aUnion.
It wants to bring in large changes
to employment laws without
any consultationwith people who
will be most affected.
We in the National Party
worked hard toconsult employers
and employees before formulating
legislationthat was positive
notjust for employers but also for
employees and the NewZealand
economy.
The90-Day Itch
Changes such as eliminating the
90-Daytrial period for all firms
exceptsmall businesses will, without
doubt, have amajor impact
on how businesses and employers
choose to employ people.
The 90-Day trial period was
rolled out nationwide in 2011 by
the NewZealand National Party
to encourage all businesses, small
andlarge, to grow their workforces
and take achance on new
workers andlong-term unemployed
people.
The changes from Labour will
makeitmuch harderfor young,
unskilled andvulnerable workers
to find employment and make
it too risky formid-sized employers
to takeachance on anew
worker with notrack recordof
employment.
Thesechanges will only reduce
job opportunities and wage
growth, especially for those vulnerable
workersonthe edges of
the labour market.
National’s Achievements
The Law asitstands encourages
all businesses, small and large,to
grow their workforce and take a
chanceonnew workersand longterm
unemployed people.
Sincethe 90-Day trial has been
in place, wehave seen abig move
into thelabour market from
groups who have traditionally
been left out. As aresult, our participation
rate of adults in thelabour
marketisthe highest it has
ever been.
The biggest single group of new
workers is sole parents.
We now have the lowest number
of sole parentsrelying on
awelfare benefit sincethe late
1980s because tensofthousands
have successfully moved intothe
labourmarket.
Larger businessesare often
the oneswho takeonvulnerable
workers, including people like
ex-prisoners and peoplewho are
recoveringfromdifficult health
situations, because theyhave the
training systems in place to work
with them.
Valuing Workers
We want every New Zealander
to have achance to work.
Valuable workers are likegoldto
abusiness but manyofthem just
needthe opportunity to prove
themselves.
New Zealand currently has one
of the highest performing economies
in theworld for job growth
and the most important thing to
aworker is that there’s someone
who’s prepared to take achance
and give them ajob.
We know that the employment
settings we have created 10,000
new jobs amonth for thelast two
years. And making changes like
reformingthe 90-Day trial will
only slow thatgrowth.
Foraparty whichclaims to be
working for the needy, the changes
to ouremploymentlawsseem
contradictory to their claims.
No flexibility
Apart fromchanging the90-Day
trial period setting work breaks
of an employee in stone provides
neither the employee nor the employer
with any flexibility.
The new lawsalsoimpose extra
requirements on businesses, in
ordertoadvantage Unions, when
negotiating agreements.
The existinglaw already ensures
that businessesmust negotiate
new agreements in good faith.
These new requirements include
forcing workers to paymoneyto
aUnion, even if they do not want
to do so.
Labourwill force businesses
into negotiating the same employment
contracts acrossmultiple
companies in an industry, ifthat
is whatthe Union wants. This
means, for example, anemployer
cannot innovate by offering their
workers extra rewards for doing
new things in order to be more efficient
than their competitors.
In the end, itwill be families
whopay the price for these
changes through higher prices for
the stuff they buy,lowerpay packets
due to poor productivity, or
not having new goodsorservices
to buy that they want.
Iamnot sureifthis is what we
NewZealanders signedupfor in
the secret coalition agreement between
Labour and its coalition
partners.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshiis
Member ofParliament on
National List.
LawtomakeEnglish official language
Clayton Mitchell
New Zealand First has
submitted aMember’s
Bill forEnglish
to be recognised as
an official languageofNew
Zealand.
Te Reo Maori was
recognised in 1987 and New
Zealand Sign Language in
2006, yetthere is no legislation
that recognises English.
LegalStatus
The Billiscalled the ‘English
an Official Language Bill’ and
will give Englishthe same legal
status as Te ReoMaori and
New Zealand Sign Language.
It is common sense to officially
recognise the language
that the vast majority of New
Zealanders useonaday to day
basis.
English is the primary
language that New Zealanders
use, whether it is in business,
at home, on thesports field or
in the media.
Apetition was presented to
Parliament last year with 6258
signatures asking forEnglish
to be recognised.
Ihave travelled around the
country and everyone I’ve
spoken to think it’sabsurdthat
this is notalready the case.
Clayton Mitchell is Member
of Parliament on New
Zealand First List.
Photo Courtesy: Twitter