Labour and Greens pitch policies to union members in Auckland

Labour and the Greens made a joint pitch to workers on Thursday morning, addressing a union meeting in Auckland. Hundreds of Workers First Union members arrived by bus for the meeting at Go Media Stadium, according to RNZ.

The meeting was a stop-work meeting, which means members left their jobs to attend. The crowd included retail workers, supermarket distribution centre staff, bus, truck and ambulance drivers, and workers from food manufacturing and the pharmaceutical industry.

Labour was represented by its leader, Chris Hipkins, Mt Roskill candidate Michael Wood and MP Camilla Belich. Wood is a former workplace relations and safety minister. Belich worked as an employment lawyer before entering Parliament.

The Green delegation included co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick. Green MPs Ricardo Menéndez March, Lawrence Xu-Nan and Steve Abel attended, along with candidates Adam Powell and Yasmine Serhal.

Workers First Union general secretary Dennis Maga challenged the politicians to name the laws they would repeal and the protections they would restore, according to RNZ.

Hipkins said Labour would reinstate pay equity laws within the first 100 days of a government. He also said Labour would ensure the minimum wage rose by at least the rate of inflation.

Davidson cited the Greens' policy of automatic union membership. The policy is set out in the Automatic Union Membership Members' Bill, a members' bill, meaning a bill introduced by an individual MP rather than the government. The Greens back the bill, which would make union membership the default setting for new employees. Under the proposal, new employees would be members unless they opted out.

The joint appearance follows Labour's release of a plan on 26 October titled "Labour's Plan To Deliver A Fairer Deal For Workers". The plan promises better pay, safer workplaces and stronger rights for workers, according to Scoop.