Nasty Nats Steal Holidays

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 5:05 pm, November 7th, 2010 - 38 comments
Categories: Minister for Overseas Holidays, national/act government, workers' rights - Tags: anzac day, four weeks annual leave, holidays act, public holidays, waitangi day

This NAct government is so anti-worker that they have managed to re-arrange the calendar so that we get 5 fewer holidays in this government’s term than the last Labour one. And that’s before they sell off our 4th week.

That’s an average of 1.67 fewer per year – with 2 fewer this year and next, and 1 fewer in the first year. The latest insult is organising for Anzac day to fall on Easter Monday – something that’s not happened before in history. Our Anzac allies all get a fair suck of the sav and a 5 day Easter. We get nowt.

It’s the second year in a row we’ll miss out on both Anzac Day and Waitangi Day – and we lost Anzac Day in 2009 as well. The government has ruled out Mondayising (now there’s an awful word for a great concept) Waitangi Day, but only ranks special legislation for an extra Easter holiday as “extremely unlikely” – now there’s an opening!

The serious side of this is that the government will be allowing many employers to take the 4th week of holiday off workers. Yes it will be “consensual” – although try asking any employee if they’ve really felt they had much option on their employment conditions when they signed on for a new job. I know I “consented” to opt-out of the EU working-hours directive at every job I had in the UK as I wanted to actually be employed…

That fourth week is part of trying to reduce worker stress. Without it, those workers may or may not get a little bit more money, but they certainly won’t get the opportunity to be as “relaxed” as the Minister for Overseas Holidays, John Key.

I'm taking extra weeks holiday, so I need you to cut back to 3

38 comments on “Nasty Nats Steal Holidays ”

Comments are now closed

SHG 1

7 November 2010 at 5:28 pm

The government “organised” this, did it?
- Lanthanide 1.1
  
  7 November 2010 at 5:48 pm
  
  Yeah, I really think this post should be written differently. They government clearly haven’t “organised” this situation, however they have also done absolutely nothing to resolve it when they easily could if they chose.
  - Bunji 1.1.1
    
    7 November 2010 at 10:50 pm
    
    I’m sorry Lanth – it was a Sunday, so I was trying to make it light-hearted.
- Marty G 1.2
  
  7 November 2010 at 9:17 pm
  
  my mate bunji is clearly taking the piss about them ‘arranging’ the calendar.
  
  but they have ruled out mondayisation
Herodotus 2

7 November 2010 at 5:44 pm

bunji- yo are forgetting those that work on the weekends. Sure if they do work Easter/ANZAC day there is not 2 days in lieu. So by Mondayising you are commentingthat Sat/Sun workers do not deserve Stat days on their roster/schedule., whilst those who can get work on Monday get more days than the rest off, sounds a bit white collar thinking to me.
Whilst the heirachy on a philosophical basis (anti anything Nat) are against the 4th week being cashed in, how about surveying those of us that in some years may require the extra weeks wages in cash rather than days off, Bunji we live in a low pay high cost country, and 1 weeks wages may just make a difference.
I suppose part of Labs election promise will to restore 11 stat days for 2012 to 2014 should they get voted back in (this is one promise I am sure they could keep), unless NZ1 or someone else beats them to it 😉
- Lanthanide 2.1
  
  7 November 2010 at 5:49 pm
  
  Um, no, I believe the idea of “Mondayising” that Bunji is talking about is exactly what is currently implemented for Christmas, Boxing Day and the Near Years Day holidays.
  
  That is, if the holiday falls in the weekend, and you *normally* work in the weekend, you get it as a stat day. If you do not normally work in the weekend, but work on Monday and/or Tuesday, you get those days as stat instead.
  - Herodotus 2.1.1
    
    7 November 2010 at 6:02 pm
    
    There are some who work weekends and Monday, do they only get 1 day and miss out on the other? Regards Christmas/Boxing Day and the 2 New Years day observance that has been tradition. I would be interested to see any major political party supporting that we observe these 4 days on the days that they fall. A real vote catcher policy !!!
    So for the Train Spotters how frequent is ANZAC Day and Easter being on the same day?
    On the good side 1 less day that we have to pay the 20% surcharge for a coffee, sausage roll and a cream bun.
    - Lanthanide 2.1.1.1
      
      7 November 2010 at 6:12 pm
      
      If you work weekends and Monday, then you get the day on which the holiday falls as your stat day (eg, the weekend). There’s no double-dipping here, everyone gets exactly 1 stat day but when they get it depends on their roster.
      
      Also, it’s not “tradition” how the holidays for Xmas/New Years work, but the Holidays act that Labour passed during their last term in Government, I believe it was in 2005 but could be wrong.
      - Herodotus 2.1.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2010 at 6:33 pm
        
        When I refer to traditional. These days were observed initially when NZ was a Mon- Fri 8:00-5:00 working society. And bar a very few exceptions workers received the benefit of these days off. I am unsure Waitangi/NZ Day and ANZAC are observed on the actual days. I could guess that this is in reverence to these 2 special days. Especially ANZAC to observe the actual day gives it added meaning than ANZAC is on say Sat/Sun but we have the holiday on Monday. Mixed messages and for me by observing Mon lessnens the gratitude and remeberence for those who have served.( A bit like 11/11 Armistic day.)
        And as said before could you imagine the backlash to the 4 days at Christmas if we observed the days that they fell on.
        p.s. A cheep shoch so we own Lab for this doulble up as I am sure in 05 they were aware of this Easter/ANZAC day looming and did nothing !!! mmm hahah
      - Carol 2.1.1.1.2
        
        7 November 2010 at 6:35 pm
        
        I think that’s the way it is for Xmas & New Year currently, when the public holidays fall on a weekend: workers get the stat holiday depending when they norally work. But I believe that’s one of the things that is included in the prooposed changes to the holiday laws. NACT is planning to change it so the employer can decide which day is the public holiday. So, as I understand it, employers could say Xmas day is not your public holiday.
    - Vicky32 2.1.1.2
      
      7 November 2010 at 7:06 pm
      
      Those surcharges are simply greed! Bosses simply pass on to the public something that is actually their own responsibility. I have avoided those surcharges by refusing to shop at businesses that impose them. Simple! (Bakers Delight for instance, won’t get my custom..)
      Deb
Colonial Viper 3

7 November 2010 at 5:50 pm

The latest insult is organising for Anzac day to fall on Easter Monday

I think this is a blunder which could blow back on NAT. A lot of young people have been turning up at dawn services and will want to do so again – except they will be on holidays out of time. This move is not going to be at all popular either with them or with the RSAs.
ghostwhowalksnz 4

7 November 2010 at 5:52 pm

It figures !
Once we knew they were canning our childrens laughter and selling it for song there would be no stopping them.
Next they will be promoting Christchurch earthquake for disaster tourism…… oops too late
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10685490
M 5

7 November 2010 at 6:10 pm

The fourth week should not be allowed to be sold off. As a sole charge worker who has a compulsory close-down at Christmas this ensures I get a decent break as the rest of the year is usually flat out.

A tiara is an appropraite accessory for Duck and Cover because we have a man? who is posing as the PM in drag.
- Herodotus 5.1
  
  7 November 2010 at 6:40 pm
  
  The Holidays act ensures that you do have an extened holiday period. From memory you have to have 10 or 14 days unintereupted leave. Should you have taken all your entitlements but not had a extended period off (And agreed to waiver this period) you have (Had) a right to have paid leave for this 2 week period, even if you have none available. A bit messy in the way I have worded this, yet I am sure that there are some out there more familiar with the current act as to your entitlements. As I have been out of this area since Lab modified the holidays act. This continuation of leave is notthat well known.
- Jum 5.2
  
  7 November 2010 at 6:43 pm
  
  Hope you get your wish M. The Christmas Pudding mix, which is still in the basin awaiting steaming, will be stirred by me once more on your behalf to help you get your wish. Christmas Puddings are powerful conduits to the human ethos of doing good for humanity.
- Vicky32 5.3
  
  7 November 2010 at 7:12 pm
  
  That would probably explain why I *never* got *any* holidays at all during the 3 and a half years I was a sole charge admin person… (the extended Christmas shut down happened one year and it was the year before the February when the company went bust…)
  I had accumulated theoretical holidays, for which I was never paid when my employment came to an abrupt end, and when I asked for holidays during those 3 years and change, I was told that I couldn’t be spared…I put up with it, as I wanted to stay employed, but I am sure that if I had got as far as employment court (there were many reasons for my grievance, but officialdom didn’t care) I probably would have been told that the Christmas shutdown constituted the 3 years of holidays I never got…
  Deb
  - M 5.3.1
    
    7 November 2010 at 9:21 pm
    
    Deb
    
    In my position I do the payroll and HR so know the law and the management know that they can’t pull any fast ones at any time so I’ll get my four weeks at Christmas. Oftentimes I feel like a sentry guarding my fellow workers’ rights because knowledge is power and I would never cave in on a staff/pay matter – it helps that I love my job and my work can’t be faulted as I write a fair amount of business.
    
    It makes me sick when I come across people who have been shafted like you – one can only hope that karma waves the big stick for unscrupulous employers who defraud workers of their wages – if you’re of a religious bent I believe it is one of the sins that cries out to heaven for venegence.
    
    I hope like hell this evil, limp-dick government is sent packing next year as I’d like to see that inane smirk wiped off Key’s face.
    - Vicky32 5.3.1.1
      
      8 November 2010 at 6:04 pm
      
      Thanks M, for your support! (The sad thing is that I didn’t even realise for the first 18 months that I was being cheated…)
Tanz 6

7 November 2010 at 8:50 pm

This site is very anti-John, where do you find the pics?
- felix 6.1
  
  7 November 2010 at 8:59 pm
  
  Eh? You mean ‘cos he looks like a half-pissed, smug, arrogant bell-end? Try finding a picture of Sir John where he doesn’t.
Aron Watson 7

7 November 2010 at 9:02 pm

Under this govt, I’m surprised we even get the weekend off, let alone have holidays.
Tanz 8

7 November 2010 at 9:21 pm

Do you all envy him his vast fortune, his fame and his celebrity? I agree though, he often looks a bit smug. I don’t think he means it that way.
- Marty G 8.1
  
  7 November 2010 at 9:22 pm
  
  I don’t envy Key any of those things and neither does anyone I know or have ever met.
- Colonial Viper 8.2
  
  7 November 2010 at 9:23 pm
  
  Tanz, I see you are playing the Politics of Envy and Greed again.
- felix 8.3
  
  7 November 2010 at 9:50 pm
  
  The only people I’ve met who envy those things are people who voted for him.
- Armchair Critic 8.4
  
  7 November 2010 at 10:25 pm
  
  There is nothing I know of that he has and that I want.
  If that’s too complex for you then the short answer is “no”.
  - Colonial Viper 8.4.1
    
    7 November 2010 at 10:35 pm
    
    Well because of his blind trust, not even Key knows what he has, apparently 🙄
Colonial Viper 9

7 November 2010 at 9:22 pm

Half an hour after downing his next one he was probably speaking in the House.
Tanz 10

7 November 2010 at 9:27 pm

I could be a Remuerarite, for all you know. Whatever.!
Tea Partier 11

7 November 2010 at 11:09 pm

I did read somewhere that:

Key travelled back decades in his Evil Tory Time Machine and lobbied for our holidays to be set on the very days they currently are on, so the workers (he referred to as “parasites” – overhead by a Labour Activist who snuck into a National Party Conference) had to work harder, he stated “I only wish I could get away with making them work for free”…

Actually that was on this site wasn’t it..?
- felix 11.1
  
  8 November 2010 at 1:03 am
  
  Um, I think you’ve used the same email address for two different names there Jeremy.
  - Jeremy Harris 11.1.1
    
    8 November 2010 at 2:09 am
    
    Yeah I was reading a post on some American blog I’d never read before (was reading about the mid terms) and wanted to post anonymously, a comment I just had to refute, and had that blog’s window and this open at the same time… I put the wrong name in this blog and posted on the US blog as Jeremy Harris, whoops…
Clint Heine 12

9 November 2010 at 9:07 am

I am impressed. If John can rearrange the calendars I am hoping he can arrange a nice long hot summer for us all. Maybe he could also give me the winning lotto numbers?

Best laugh I’ve had in ages. If I was any of your employers and you really thought that this was a deliberate conspiracy, I’d be questioning why I’d hire somebody so ridiculously stupid. 🙂