Lockdown – Businesses want to do the right thing, full stop.

The vast majority of employers are doing the right thing by their employees and to characterise it as anything else is divisive and unfair, says John Milford, Chief Executive of Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Business Central.

“There needs to be a reality check on some of the claims made by unions about workplace practice. We know that businesses overwhelmingly want to do the right thing, full stop.

“Comments made by the CTU today are not a true picture of what New Zealand’s employment relationships are like. It’s not Us-Vs-Them. And right now, more than ever, New Zealanders need to pull together.

“Business and their staff, the whole country, we’re all in this. For New Zealand, to come out on the other side, we need good-faith collaboration.

“In an unprecedented emergency situation, with complex employment law and holidays regulations to navigate, employers are seeking advice, and doing all they can to save jobs and safeguard future job prospects.

“From receiving calls, in the thousands, on our adviceline through to our outbound calling, the message from business is they want to do whatever they can to keep staff in jobs. A small number of businesses have said that, circumstances dependent, they will have to restructure or cease operations, but they are doing what they can to avoid this.

“While some isolated instances of poor employment practice may have occurred, this should be seen in the context of the vast majority of employers doing the right thing. They should be held to account – we don’t want a few apples spoiling the bunch.

“But we would also caution of tales where a good story gets in the way of the facts.

“Anyone wanting to make a report of poor employment practice should contact the Ministry of Business, Employment, and Innovation – rather than an organisation who are simply using the information for their own political gain.”