Call for effective equity legislation

Press, 27 April 1989, Page 46

Call for effective equity legislation

PA Wellington The Government needs to take employment equity seriously and introduce effective legislation, the Council of Trade Unions vice-president, Ms Angela Foulkes, said at a national meeting of the employment equity campaign. Labour needs to take the issue seriously, she said. It needs to know that it will be judged on the content of any legislation. The Government has stated its intention to introduce legislation before the next election. Almost 100 delegates representing a range of organisations and unions attended Saturday’s meeting in Wellington to plan national and regional campaign strategies. \

The meeting endorsed four essential principles for intended legislation: • Legislation must cover pay equity and equal employment opportunities and be separate from the Labour Relations Act and the State Sector Act. • If parties cannot agree, a way must be provided to reach a binding decision. • Individual and class actions must be allowed. The result of union class actions must be able to change pay rates in awards and agreements. • One agency must be set up to give technical and legal advice, conduct research, provide education, and monitor the way the new law is put into practice.