PM broke his word to unions says Kelly

MARK TAYLOR/Waikato Times

UNIONISE: Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly.

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A union leader has written a "Dear John" letter to Prime Minister John Key, effectively announcing a divorce between unions and the Government and accusing him of breaking his word.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly has criticised Mr Key for leaving the unions out of the labour law reforms he announced last weekend at the party's national conference. The changes include extending the 90-day trial period to all employers and requiring employer consent for union access to workplaces.

Yesterday, Ms Kelly published a letter she wrote to Mr Key saying the CTU was reassessing its relationship with the Government. She said he had breached his undertaking to consult her if the Government was going to move on union access and non-union collective bargaining.

"You also said you wanted to work with the unions," she wrote. "And you portrayed yourself as a moderating influence in employment law matters. That has changed."

Ms Kelly and Mr Key have had a strong relationship. He spoke at the CTU conference last year and she was a main player in his Jobs Summit, which aimed to find ways to create work and help businesses withstand the recession.

Mr Key yesterday said that he rejected Ms Kelly's claims of breaking his word. Her main concern had been over National's policy to allow workers to band together for collective bargaining without involving unions. The Government had not yet moved to implement that.

He said he aimed to continue to work constructively with unions "notwithstanding the support the union movement has for Labour".

Ms Kelly's letter said the law changes were a "slur" on workers and painted them as "lazy, untrustworthy skivers that are out of control and need to be disciplined". Mr Key put too much faith in employers to use their powers reasonably, when many were not fair-minded.

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