Health and safety reform: Minister denies unions shut out of nationwide roadshow

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden is defending her efforts to consult on upcoming health and safety regulation reform. Photo / Adam Pearse

The minister leading health and safety reform is denying unions are being shut out of her nationwide consultation roadshow as union members urge her to strengthen current legislation.

Council of Trade Unions [CTU] president Richard Wagstaff, speaking today in front of more than 100 union members at an event at Parliament to discuss the reform, claimed his organisation had struggled to gain access to Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden’s consultation meetings,

Wagstaff later told the Herald the CTU had asked van Velden’s office when and where consultation was being held, but only received an invitation to submit feedback online.

“We weren’t given any information about anything.”

Van Velden claimed it wasn’t true the unions hadn’t had access to her roadshow, which had so far consulted with people - including some union representatives - across regions including Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Bay of Plenty.

There were more events scheduled in Whangārei, Invercargill, Christchurch and Timaru ahead of the end of consultation on October 31.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden speaks with Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff. Photo / Adam Pearse

She said the roadshow had been arranged to speak with people who weren’t usually part of Government consultation processes.

“It’s been very comprehensive,” van Velden said, claiming she had heard from workers across many industries.

She would not speculate on whether she would detail her planned reform before the end of the year but said all options were being considered, ranging from changing legislation, regulation, guidance or introducing completely new law.

“All of that is on the table.

“I’m not here, as I’ve heard some people have said today, about watering down the law, I’m here looking for better outcomes.

“There are some areas that are becoming very clear and there are some larger areas where I still have concern and questions about what would we do to change it.”

Wagstaff, while pleased van Velden had attended today’s function, said he had been disappointed by her office’s lack of engagement with the CTU, having only met her once in November since the change of Government.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said she was keeping an open mind with respect to the reform. Photo / Adam Pearse

He claimed previous ministers Simon Bridges, Michael Woodhouse and Iain Lees-Galloway had accepted a meeting every two months. Wagstaff suspected unions were “not a voice [van Velden] wants to hear from”.

Today’s event was organised alongside Labour’s workplace relations spokeswoman Camilla Belich and her Green Party equivalent Teanau Tuiono to impress union members’ views on van Velden.

“I don’t think she has had a big meeting with union members and this is us really bringing their voices to her at Parliament,” Belich said.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.