Duncan Helen: Holidays Bill — First Reading 
Duncan Helen: Holidays Bill — First Reading 
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HELEN DUNCAN (NZ Labour) 
: 
 I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak briefly on this bill. I believe it is a forward-looking bill that will be good for New Zealand’s development. It is designed to improve workplace productivity in the long-term and to recognise the importance of a work-life balance for all employees. It builds on the consultative provisions of the Employment Relations Act the amendments to the Health and Safety in Employment Act and the introduction of paid parental leave. It provides much-needed certainty clarity and consistency around the holiday entitlements of workers. It reflects the work patterns of modern business and the diversity of our modern work force. It keeps in place the base entitlement to 3 weeks’ leave but it provides some fairness in giving extra pay for working statutory public holidays.  
For some time there has been no recognition that working on a day when other people have a public holiday takes away the ability of many ordinary working people to be with their families. There needs to be some recognition of that loss. If they work on a public holiday that for them falls on a normal working day they will now be entitled to an alternative day off as well as some extra pay. It puts fairness and consistency in place ensuring that all public holidays will be treated the same way. That will make it easier for employers to apply the law and it will lower their compliance costs rather than raise them.  
Both employees and employers find the current Holidays Act outdated and difficult to understand. One just needs to look at the number of complaints made to labour inspectors and to the Employment Relations Service information line for an idea of the size of the problem. During 2002 75 percent of all complaints to the labour inspectorate were related to holidays. During the same period 26 percent of all inquiries to the Employment Relations Service information line also related to holidays. It is an area that definitely needs attention. 
I am particularly pleased that employees can now accumulate some sick leave. In the past people could not accumulate their sick leave if they did not use their 5 days’ entitlement per year. Now they can accumulate up to 15 days. That means that people who have a serious illness and need extra time off work can if they have accumulated their sick leave take a reasonable amount of time off. That seems to me to be very fair indeed.  
Although some elements of the business sector have welcomed the bill because it brings much-needed consistency to the application of the holidays law unfortunately we also have the usual howls from the prophets of doom and gloom—mainly the National Party and ACT representatives here who are always consistent in opposing any improvements to the conditions of the ordinary working people of New Zealand. But sensible business people know that workers who feel appreciated and are rested and refreshed by having reasonable holiday and sick-leave provisions are much more productive. They also recognise that a time of bereavement can be very stressful and that it is good to have a separate leave entitlement for that particular time.  
Whatever the Opposition has to say about increases in wages and salaries this law is good news for New Zealand business. It will result in lower compliance costs through more clarity greater efficiency in businesses because of fewer hassles over holiday entitlements and improved staff morale. That will lead to lower turnover rates greater productivity and much better relationships between employers and employees. I commend the bill to the House.