A NZCTU Perspective: Employment Relations During and Beyond the 2017-2020 Coalition Government

Abstract

After nine years of a National-led government, and with it a policy slanted toward business’ and away from workers’ interests, the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) welcomed a change to a new Coalition Government in 2017. There had been many changes to laws over the period of the previous government that affected the work of unions and conditions of employment that unions did not support and were eager to change. We were keen to roll back the negative amendments to employment law that had been put in place, as well as advance and improve in new areas. Of course, changes to the laws affecting employment are one thing, but the government also has an impact through the policies and activities of its agencies: as a direct employer, in procurement and as a regulator. Taken together, there certainly was an improvement over the past three years for unions and workers, but it was interrupted somewhat due to the extraordinary circumstances of a pandemic, which required an urgent and immediate response and was prioritised above all else. Below are some of the more significant changes.