Left and right attack Labour's industrial relations policy

Labour's industrial relations policy has been criticised by the Alliance as weak and by National as a threat to business.

Labour Minister Margaret Wilson yesterday said a new Labour government would review the Employment Relations Act (ERA) and outlined other plans.

Ms Wilson said the ERA review would "identify what fine-tuning is needed".

"Two key questions are whether collective bargaining is adequately supported and whether compliance costs can be reduced," she said.

The review would specifically look at "the adequacy of provisions in the ERA to discourage and prevent the undermining and avoidance of collective bargaining".

If Labour was re-elected government it would legislate to protect the "terms and conditions of employees in the event of the sale or transfer of a business, or where employees' work is contracted out".

National's industrial relations spokesman Simon Power said the contentious proposals about the sale of businesses would be "crippling for small business".

Labour's plans to ensure the ERA complied with International Labour Organisation conventions would allow general strikes on social and economic grounds, Mr Power said.

Ms Wilson has denied that.

At the other end of the political spectrum Alliance leader Laila Harre said Labour's plans were "big on considerations and short on any clear commitments".

Labour was also trying to claim credit for policies that would not have happened unless the Alliance had pushed them. These included increases to the minimum wage and paid parental leave.

Ms Harre said there were "glaring omissions" in the policy such as a failure to mention lifting the minimum annual leave to four weeks.

Ms Wilson said the ERA was, "contrary to wild predictions", working well and steady progress to restore balance would continue if Labour gained a second term in government.

The planned review would also cover whether:

* more administrative support was needed to encourage multi-employer bargaining;

* bargaining compliance costs could be reduced; and

* the principles of good faith bargaining are given enough weight in the ERA.

In other areas of workplace policy, Labour said it would complete the passage of new health and safety in employment legislation and modernise minimum conditions of employment standards.

The new paid parental leave scheme would be extended to 14 weeks and to cover more employees and the self-employed "as resources permit".

Labour also promised to review the Holidays Act, casualisation of the workplace and redundancy law.

- NZPA

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