Blue Jackie: Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Blue Jackie: Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:662;Page:10358] 
Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 I am delighted to speak in the first reading debate of the Employment Relations (Workers’ Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill in the name of my colleague Tau Henare. The bill amends the Employment Relations Act 2000 to require unions to hold a secret ballot of their members before undertaking any strike action. I understand that this is current practice in the larger unions. I absolutely support that this is current practice but it may not be the case in smaller unions. 
I respect the work of unions and organisations such as the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. Their philosophy and driving force is that everyone has the right to decent and productive work in conditions of freedom equity security and human dignity. Who would not support that sentiment? 
When this bill was drawn from the ballot it was somewhat controversial. Some Labour members and others said that it was not necessary as it was already current practice. When the bill was drawn from the ballot the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union said that it was out of touch and not needed as secret ballots are already practised. That may well be case for the large unions and those affiliated to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions but it does not represent all unions. It represents only 80 percent of unions and it does not speak for all. 
However I am pleased to see that the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has come out in support of the bill in principle and it is to be commended for that. However it is concerned that the bill is not balanced and believes that it must be changed to also require employers to follow democratic procedures including a secret ballot with shareholders prior to a lockout. That is what a select committee process is for. It is the right place to hear all the arguments and the evidence. The select committee will invite public submissions work through the issues raised and decide what changes if any should be made to the bill. The bill will be a better bill when it comes out of the select committee as that is the place where amendments can be made to improve it. 
I am pleased that our Labour colleagues are supporting the bill as are our Maori Party colleagues. I am also pleased to see that the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has indicated that it will be making a submission when the bill gets to the select committee. There is no point in making legislation for the sake of making legislation. Parliament needs to make laws to improve the current situation and I am sure this bill will do exactly that. 
Although this bill’s provisions may be current practice and no would disagree with that sentiment why should that practice not be enshrined in law? No worker should be made to feel intimidated or under pressure to vote or not to vote for strike action. No worker should feel coerced to vote in a certain way. It should be a free vote and it must be a personal choice. That is the democratic way and I am sure no one would disagree with that. There is no doubt that when strike action is contemplated emotions run high and both sides feel aggrieved. Strike action is the last resort when all avenues have been exhausted the parties are at a dead end and no agreement has been reached. 
The stakes are high when strike action is contemplated and it is a tense time for all concerned. Objectivity can be lost in situations like that and it is not hard to see that if there was not a secret ballot a worker could feel intimidated into voting in a certain way. Also let us not forget that strikes can be stressful financially and emotionally for a worker. Not every worker will have the same personal circumstances so it is fair that any decision a worker makes is free of judgment from anywhere else. People must feel at ease with the process and this bill will ensure it is a legal requirement for all unions. I commend this bill to the House.