Parliament must listen to the thousands of people who have signed a Council of Trade Unions (CTU) petition calling for Easter Sunday to remain one of the few days people are guaranteed leave to spend time with their families, the Green Party said today. Green Party workplace relations spokesperson Denise Roche will table a CTU petition calling for the National Government’s support partners to protect the time New Zealanders get off work, when the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill is...

National’s decision to veto Labour’s paid parental leave Bill today is another example of the Government choosing to make excuses instead of doing what’s right for families, the Green Party said. The Bill had enough support from other parties in Parliament to become law and extend paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. “The Government should be doing what’s right for babies, parents, and families because that’s what’s right for the whole country, but National is full of...

New data that shows business executives received 12 percent pay rises last year, on average, while over 40 percent of all working people received no pay rise at all shows we need action to rebalance our economy, the Green Party said.* “The evidence is clear that economic inequality creates serious social issues – but we can address these issues by taxing the highest earners a bit more. They can afford it,” Green Party workplace relations spokesperson Denise Roche said. “When...

This Sunday could be the last Easter Sunday holiday for many New Zealanders, if the National Government goes ahead with its plan to allow local councils to let shops open on Easter Sunday. The Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill is currently before Select Committee and is expected to pass later this year. “People who work in retail are only guaranteed three and a half specific days off a year to spend with their families – National shouldn’t be cutting that...

National’s back-down that led to “zero hours” contracts being outlawed today is a massive victory for working people, families, and unions who have fought against unfair employment practices, the Green Party said. “This is a huge win for the tens of thousands of people across New Zealand who’ve had no guaranteed hours of work and had to sit at home hoping for a shift that never came,” Green Party workplace relations spokesperson Denise Roche said. “When National first introduced the...

The Green Party is calling for Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse to direct WorkSafe to immediately investigate problems at Pan Pac Forest Products’ Hawkes’ Bay mill, following a spate of illnesses attributed to fumes from the mill’s kiln. “WorkSafe needs to get in there immediately and sort this out, not stand on the sidelines and wait for mill operator Pan Pac to do its own investigation,”  Green Party toxics spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said. Pan Pac workers are now...

The growing gap between what families need to earn to live and what the Government sets as the minimum wage, shows the National Government isn’t doing enough to ensure all New Zealanders can get ahead, the Green Party said. The Government today moved to increase the minimum wage by 50 cents to $15.25 an hour, while the Living Wage Movement announced the actual minimum amount a family needs to earn has increased by 55 cents to $19.80 an hour. “While...

The Green Party is accusing the Government of hypocrisy following revelations that it is paying Paula Rebstock $2000 a day to chair the Child Youth and Family review panel at the same time as it refuses to pay Parliamentary cleaners a living wage so they have to work two jobs just to get by. “Under the National Government there is one standard for its mates and a different standard for ordinary New Zealanders,” said Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Denise...

The Green Party today announced a workers' package that is part of its plan to build a fairer society where all workers have enough to live on. The key policy points in the Green Party's plan to make life better for all New Zealand workers are: Lifting low wages by moving the minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2017 and introducing a Living Wage for the core Government sector. A new legislative minimum redundancy package of four weeks' pay....