May 15 1991 marked the dawn of a new system of employment that utterly transformed the world of work. The Employment Contracts Act dramatically deregulated the labour market, struck a huge blow against the union movement, and reshaped the economy. Alex Braae looks back.
When Faith Harrison bega
OPINION: There isn’t much left of Jim Bolger’s legacy. His reforms in introducing market discipline in health and education didn’t survive Helen Clark’s administration, and although he did oversee the sale of some State Owned Enterprises this was timid compared to what Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble had accomplished. Bolger left us with MMP, so thanks for that, Jim. He also began the current round of Treaty of Waitangi settlements, although some commentators feel that Sir Doug Graham deserves the credit for this development. I suspect Sir Doug might be one of those commentators.
ROSA WOODS/STUFF
COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS
Helen Kelly pics. In 2010 the National government announced plans to roll back worker s rights. Helen Kelly led a Fairness at Work protest in October.
To some she was a hero. To others she was “a bloody pain in the neck”. Kirsty Johnston reports on a new biography of Helen Kelly, an ordinary girl who refused to be quiet. It was early 1981 when 50,000 people marched down Auckland’s Queen St, an angry uprising against the union movement that seemed to take even its participants by surprise. Led by a young woman called Tania Harris, the protesters united under the “Kiwis Care” banner, railing against “Pommie stirrers” and “commos” they believed responsible for recent strikes. “We must pull together, not apart,” Harris, a 22-year-old sales representative, told the gathered crowd.
Collective agreements have become a natural part of the Finnish working life and almost 90% of all Finnish employees are covered by such an agreement. However, the tide is shifting, with major employer federations withdrawing from negotiation tables. This raises the question of how employment relationships are organised in sectors that are not directly affected by existing collective agreements.
Statutory minimum benefits
The Employment Contracts Act and other employment laws determine the minimum terms that apply in employment relationships. Any deviation from these minimum terms to the detriment of an employee would be unenforceable and employees are always entitled to benefits that are at least equal to those defined in the applicable legislation.