Clerical workers gain paid holiday on May 1

Press, 2 May 1985, Page 8

Clerical workers gain paid holiday on May 1

Auckland

Clerical workers employed by the Labour Party have gained a paid holiday on May Day in addition to Labour Day in October, a rally in Auckland was told yesterday. The Labour Party’s president, Ms Margaret Wilson, said that the holiday was negotiated with the Clerical Workers’ Union earlier this year. The announcement, made during an address at the May Day rally in Aotea Square, appeared to be directly opposed to the opinion expressed on Tuesday by the Minister of Labour, Mr Rodger. Mr Rodger had suggested that the Government would not allow a national holiday on both May Day (international workers’ day) and Labour Day. • Ms Wilson said in her address that May Day was the one day in the year in which workers could come together and display solidarity. ■ “It means we can come together and protect workers’ rights. That’s why it is so important to keep on

reminding people of the need for solidarity,” she said.

“The Labour Party has an agreement with the Clerical Workers’ Union giving its clerical workers a paid holiday on May 1. They are here today celebrating with you.”

After her speach, Ms Wilson said the agreement covered more than 20 workers in Labour Party offices throughout New Zealand. It was reached when the collective agreement the party has with the clerical union was renegotiated in the wage round.

Between 500 and 600 people took part in the Queen Street march which preceded the rally. The president of the Federation of Labour, Mr Jim Knox, who spoke at the rally, said later that he considered it a good turnout. In his address he said he would ask the Government to legislate May Day as a national holiday. “Here we have the president of the Labour Party standing on the same rostrum, yet we have criticism from within the Parliamentary party. It should not happen,” he said.