Kiwis concerned about employment rights, income

Employees in New Zealand are becoming increasingly concerned about their incomes and rights under the new National-led Government.

This was reflected in the latest New Zealand Council of Trade Unions’ (NZCTU) annual Mood of the Workforce survey, which took place earlier this month.

Two-thirds of the 1990 people who responded to the survey, conducted between January 3 and 10, felt the Government’s policies were going to make it harder to deal with the cost of living. The survey was emailed to a random selection of 50,000 people from the NZCTU’s Together email list, with email addresses collected “over the last seven years via petitions, parliamentary submission calls, community events and fundraising for community causes”, the NZCTU said. 

Rob Egan, author for the NZCTU, shared that 66.6% of those on the email list were union members, and expressed his surprise that there was little difference in the result, and that there was little difference there was in the results when they were adjusted only to include certain cohorts.   

However, the survey also pointed out “union members have done better at securing their terms and conditions, including being more likely to report a pay rise in the past year by 20 %,” said Richard Wagstaff, President of the NZCTU, who argued that the general results demonstrate just how employees feel insecure at work.    

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“The feedback from this year’s survey is that many people are worried about the future of their jobs and well-being of their families.”  

Wagstaff argued that the repeal of employment legislation without consultation shows the Government “does not care about their interests or the interests of most New Zealanders”, reported News Hub.