At least 15,000 workers, from Kaitaia to Bluff, have attended stop work rallies this afternoon in protest against Government workplace changes, organisers say.That figure is expected to increase as rallies continue throughout the country to early evening.
At least 15,000 workers, from Kaitaia to Bluff, have attended stop work rallies this afternoon in protest against Government workplace changes, organisers say.
That figure is expected to increase as rallies continue throughout the country to early evening.
The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) organised the national protest in response to Government plans to extend the 90-day probation period to all businesses, require greater justification for sick days and make changes to union access to workplaces.
The CTU estimated 7000 workers gathered in Auckland, 4000 rallied in Wellington on Parliament grounds, 1500 in Hamilton, 800 in Hastings and 750 in Nelson.
At parliament today CTU president Helen Kelly said the Government has turned its back on workers and their families.
"Now the Government thinks it's OK to kick working people again with a raft of unfair workplace laws that remove the most basic of work rights and in the long term are aimed at wage reductions," she said.
Thousands gathered in Auckland this afternoon, where CTU vice-president Richard Wagstaff and union leaders Andrew Little, Jill Ovens and Robert Reid spoke.
Ms Kelly said the union had received statements of support from the Labour Party and the Green Party.
Organisers have promoted today's protests as being the largest collective union action for many years.
The Employment Relations Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament a couple of months ago.
