Kate’s pretext falls over

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, September 4th, 2009 - 8 comments
Categories: workers' rights - Tags: , , , , ,

Yesterday, National’s Kate Wilkinson tried to use a dispute over how to apply the new rest breaks law for air traffic controllers as a pretext for taking away our right to rest and meal breaks.

She tried to paint the dispute over breaks as being about union intransigence, with the “Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) unwilling to continue the flexible breaks system employed at regional airports.” This, she argued, showed the need to weaken the law. Turns out she wasn’t telling the full story.

Over at Red Alert, Trevor Mallard sets the record straight:

Controllers have offered to take their breaks when no planes are scheduled and to carry devices so they can be called back in an emergency. Their industrial agreement has always had a safety clause in it and has worked well.

Some idiot from CAA has said they all have to have their breaks at the same time. He said pilots won’t understand if it is different at different airports nothwithstanding the fact that that has always been the case and that towers are open at different times all round the country.

This backs up what the head of ALPA was saying on Radio NZ this morning – the union had come to an agreement with employers before the Government’s own Civil Aviation Authority issued its idiotic directive.

Perhaps Kate should look closer to home before lying about industrial disputes as a pretext to steal our rights.

8 comments on “Kate’s pretext falls over ”

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  1. randal 1
    4 September 2009 at 10:40 am

    this is getting corny.
    this government has its roots in the reagan era and they are still trying to propagate that bankrupt ideology and copy its moves.
    ergo the first thing reagan did was take on the air traffic controllers.
    now the turkeys are trying on the same thing here.
    off course it willl all end in tears.
    remember the savings and loan scandals there when certain people were given licence to loot the savings banks.
    here it was just crummy old leaky homes but thats only because they didnt get the chance to do any more damage than they did.
    watch them like hawks.

  2. Tigger 2
    4 September 2009 at 10:51 am

    This government says they are all about ‘value for money’. So where is the vfm in changing the law here? Wilkinson has provided zero concrete evidence for spending time and money to change this law. They want the public sector to show that all government spending is justified and justifiable – here she can’t do that. Just further proof that NACT are all about do as I say, not as I do.

  3. BLiP 3
    4 September 2009 at 11:58 am

    Calamity Kate strikes again!

  4. tc 4
    4 September 2009 at 2:54 pm

    Par for the course…..the areas that NACT value least get the ministers with little/no experience and questionable ability to genuinely think issues through either for the good of NZ or their own longevity.
    Bennett -social welfare/Wilkinson-industrial relations/Smith-environment/Grosser-conservation/Hide-local govt and the list goes on.
    Wilkinson looks more suited to a lawn bowls tournamnet than the rigours of industrial relations so naturally she’s first choice as another ‘comfortable’ decision from JK and company.
    The masterstroke was the baubles thrown to Maori party as swords they may fell on….unless a flag’s considered a first class outcome by their constituents.
    Meanwhile the media sits on it’s hands simply too scared or lacking the experience, not ever having done it before, as it may cop it like others have who have dared to challenge this 21st century muldoonism the people were duped into voting as ‘labour lite’.
    People have such short memories when it comes to National…..the leopard is incapable of changing it’s spots so none of this surprises me.
    It’s the long term damage NACT do is a major concern…..environment/transport/savings/industrial relations……this comment goes against any of the last 3 national governments.

  5. randal 5
    4 September 2009 at 3:59 pm

    what do you think…this lots hero is ronald reagan and the first thing he did was go after the air traffic controllers. hmmmmm.
    then he let his mates loot the thrift banks and the savings and loans. be afraid be very afraid. it’ll be worse than leaky homes this time around.

  6. George D 6
    4 September 2009 at 4:33 pm

    Please, Mrs Wilkinson, I need to eat and pee. Can I take a break?

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