EMA protests over Employment Law Reform Bill

By IRENE CHAPPLE

This was political protest, head prefect style.

There was no banging of drums or shouting, just an orderly request for the tabling of a resolution.

The Employer and Manufacturers Association (EMA) was storming, in its own way, the select committee hearing submissions on the Employment Law Reform Bill at the Alexandra Park Raceway.

Most of the 200-odd EMA members, who had gathered two floors below the hearings, charged up to the committee room.

They were met at the door by the committee's clerk, who thought they'd come to the wrong room, and then the ERA members waited obediently while their purpose was explained.

They then filed quietly into the public seating area.

Labour MP Lianne Dalziel rolled her eyes and muttered to committee chair, fellow Labour MP Mark Gosche: "It's the EMA. The EMA playing games. Well done."

But they were able to jump the queue of submitters and present their resolution to the committee: That the bill be rejected and should be referred for further consultation.

The disturbance created some relief for a long day of submissions, most of which where opposed to several aspects of proposed legislation, with the EMA and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce lambasted by the Labour MPs for loading some survey questions.

Gosche also had a crack at lobbyists for not asking their members for thoughts on the law around individual contracts.

The lobbyists agreed the huge majority of their members' employees were party to individual agreements rather than collectives - and that questions on the applicable parts of the bill would probably have been a good idea.

The day had started with support for the bill from the National Distribution Union, which asked for, among other things, further amendments to prevent discrimination against union members.

They detailed instances where employers bullied employees into not joining the union.

Progressive Enterprises, which runs Foodtown and Woolworths supermarkets brands, said in its submission that the bill was "union-driven and union biased".

The committee will continue meeting in Auckland until this afternoon.