He says this can have a negative effect for workers still in jobs. When businesses are struggling to compete, pressure comes on wages. Harold Lewis, of Central Amalgamated Workers Union in Wairarapa, says the days of forcing wages too high are past. There's no point getting 20 bucks an hour if the site is going to close in a couple of weeks. He says his job is to try and negotiate a complete package of conditions for workers rather than just concentrate on wages.
Farmers are generally among the worst employers.
Mr Lewis said his biggest obstacle is the Employment Contracts Act. Before the act there were 370 unions, now there are about 80. His union's numbers dwindled from 922 in 1991 to 557 last year, but membership has now bounced back to 730. He says a lot of employers used the act to encourage staff to sign individual contracts which affected membership. He says 93 percent of contracts are negotiated by unions which is heartening.