Photo / Getty ImagesNew Zealand risks being placed on a list of the world's "worst case" breaches of international labour law if it continues with its proposal to change Fair Pay Agreements to include compulsory collective bargaining. BusinessNZ says the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements would essentially force collective bargaining, which would have detrimental effects for the country and its reputation, as well as set a bad example globally, while the FT says the Fair Pay Agreements would reverse 30 years of labour market deregulation. The UN International Labour Organisation (ILO) last week said it was in favour of collective bargaining and that collective bargaining in the workplace was essential for the global recovery post-Covid-19 pandemic. If enacted, the Fair Pay Agreements would breach the freedom of association rules and convention 98 relating to voluntary bargaining, Hope said. "Clearly the International Labour Organisation, which this Government is a founding member of, sees the introduction of compulsory Fair Pay Agreements as trampling on people's human rights.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 15, 2022 19:25 UTC