Maritime Union will campaign against Government attacks on workers

The Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and says changes in employ­ment law today are just the start of a broad­er attack on New Zeal­and’s soci­ety by the Nation­al Gov­ern­ment’s right wing agenda.
Mari­time Uni­on Gen­er­al Sec­ret­ary Joe Fleet­wood says the changes to employ­ment laws that come into force today (1 April) are ser­i­ous enough, but rep­res­ent the tip of the ice­berg.
“The fire at will law, and the attempt to hinder work­ers from get­ting access to rep­res­ent­a­tion from uni­ons, are clearly inten­ded to rip into the wages, con­di­tions and hard won rights of work­ing class people.”
“The pic­ture is now emer­ging of a Nation­al Gov­ern­ment pre­par­ing to embark on a second attack to com­plete their pro­gramme of the 1990s, under the ban­ner of aus­ter­ity for the work­ers to pay for tax cuts for the rich.”
He says that the prob­lem for most New Zea­l­and work­ers is the ongo­ing insec­ur­ity of work, caused by unem­ploy­ment, cas­u­al­iz­a­tion and low wages.
He says if Nation­al is returned at the next elec­tion, work­ing New Zeal­anders will face con­tin­ued high unem­ploy­ment, privat­iz­a­tion of pub­lic assets, and ongo­ing attacks on the rights of work­ers.
“At a time that New Zeal­anders require col­lect­ive com­munity power and unity to recov­er from dis­aster and eco­nom­ic reces­sion, this Gov­ern­ment’s policies are under­min­ing our abil­ity to get New Zea­l­and back on track.”
The Mari­time Uni­on would shortly announce its pri­or­it­ies for indus­tri­al and social goals for the 2011 elec­tion.