National has found itself politically unable to oppose the amendment to the Employment Relations Act that will ensure workers are entitled to meal breaks and to breastfeed at work. But they will be offering only ‘cautious‘ support to a Bill that protects such basic rights, and only to select committee stage.
Kate Wilkinson, National’s labour spokesperson, says she’s not even sure of the point of the law. Yet, her party is voting for it because they can’t be seen to be so completely anti-worker, especially over a law that will pass anyway.
Rest assured; National hasn’t seen the light. This is a party that is hesitant even to support meal breaks and only has one piece of labour legislation planned, the 90-day Bill to remove employees’ rights in their first 90 days of employment. If they were to get into power, National would be as anti-worker as ever: they would let the minimum wage erode like they’ve always done, they would work to see that wages drop, and New Zealanders would see no more improvements in their working conditions.
A National Government would never enact a meal breaks law.
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