“I never thought about not joining the union. It’s quite strong belief. I like the idea of remaining under a collective agreement and the implicit security of that.”

Matt is new to the workforce. He worked with ANZ National through a recruitment agency for two months before being offered a permanent fulltime position a month ago. He is now going to joining Finsec.

Initially Matt found it difficult to find a job, however his recruitment agency found him a temporary position within about two weeks, and from there he was assigned as a permanent member. Matt has found his working conditions under the newly settled collective agreement good.

“No complaints. The salary is basic starting level. I’m well looked after, things like free health insurance make it worthwhile.”

With his recent experience of looking for a job and signing up to a large collective agreement, Matt believes that employment law is an important election issue.

Matt has found that his employer has not been as openly encouraging of Finsec’s role in the workplace as it could be, and can see the need for unions to have rights in the workplace. At his induction he specifically asked about the role of Finsec. “All they told us was that the individual agreement mirrored the collective agreement.”

The Government and supporting parties (Labour, the Greens, the Progressives) have introduced the current Employment Relations Act and then strengthened it last year by promoting collective agreements, attempting to address the freeloading problem, and to provide protection for vulnerable workers when their work is transferred or contracted out. These parties have also introduced time and a half for public holidays, annual increases to the minimum wage, tougher health and safety laws, 14 weeks paid parental leave and they returned ACC to the public sector. They will introduce four weeks annual leave for all workers in 2007.

National has promised employers that they will repeal the Employment Relations Act and start again. It would overhaul the Holidays Act and reduce business compliance costs associated with health and safety. It would put limits on union access to the workplace and remove unions’ special bargaining rights. Act would go even further, gutting the Employment Relations Act, the Health and Safety in Employment Act and the Holidays Act, and minimum wages, which it believes destroy, job growth.

United Future and New Zealand First have also opposed the government’s changes to employment legislation but would work to amend them if in government, rather than scrap them altogether.

Matt is still finding his way around a new job and the employment rights that go with them, but he doesn’t want those rights changed too much.

“I hope to the current legislation remains in force. It’s necessary to strike a balance between employer and employee rights.”

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