The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to stand up for workers’ rights for once and rule out reducing sick leave entitlements.
“This Government for the wealthy keeps finding new ways of eviscerating workers’ rights and tilting power to employers,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety, Teanau Tuiono.
“Our economy is built upon the backs of our workers, so to erode their rights to sick leave is nothing short of an attack on the morale and productivity of our workforce.
“The Government is making a habit of revealing such changes at the start of Winter when seasonal illnesses, flu and Covid are placing many families under strain.
“Women workers in particular will be disproportionately affected by this cruel policy as they tend to take more sick leave because of childcare responsibilities. For the Government to be considering reducing sick leave is another way to attack women workers following its Pay Equity bombshell.
“The fact that the Prime Minister hasn’t ruled out halving the number of sick days for part-time workers speaks to a pattern of decision-making of a Government that doesn’t listen to, nor care about, workers.
“The Coalition has unapologetically pushed its anti-worker agenda this term - gutting the Pay Equity process, scrapping fair pay agreements, reinstating 90-day trials, and changing the law so that Uber and other gig work platforms can keep their workers from getting their entitlements in already precarious job arrangements.
“More must be done to support our workers. The Green Party campaigned on five weeks of annual leave for everyone so that people have more time to connect with their whānau, communities, and things that matter to them.
“The Green Party will keep fighting for everyone in Aotearoa to have access to strong rights, secure work, and decent pay, to ensure workers can thrive,” says Teanau Tuiono.
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