Employers angry at one-off holiday for Apec summit

By Audrey Young

Employers do not want a national public holiday declared during the Apec conference in Auckland in September.

The Employers' Federation board yesterday met the Treasurer, Bill Birch, to tell him that any new statutory holiday - a national one or one just for Auckland - was not wanted.

The one-off holiday, if approved by the Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, would be on Monday, September 13, and could be marketed as a millennium gift by the Government to the country.

The aim of the holiday is to reduce traffic in Auckland, especially at the critical time of 5 pm.

That is when the motorcades of about 20 leaders start heading out to the airport at the end of the summit.

It is reasoned that an extra holiday this year would not reduce the country's productivity or over-burden employers, because they got off lightly with Waitangi Day and Anzac Day falling on a Saturday and Sunday.

This meant a Monday holiday did not take place.

The federation's chief executive, Steve Marshall, said extra holidays meant extra costs involving penal rates for those who worked.