Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper removes the changes to the duty to conclude collective bargaining. Collective bargaining is important to maintaining harmonious employment relations and the wages and conditions of New Zealand workers. The proposed provisions undermine collective bargaining by changing the duty to conclude so it is easier for an employer to conduct surface bargaining with no real intent to form an agreement. This is likely to result in increased strikes and lower wages and conditions. If these provisions are not removed they should at least be heavily amended. This Supplementary Order Paper reduces the ability of an employer to avoid the duty to conclude by preventing access to workers, making bargaining difficult, making unreasonable demands, or failing to give reasonable consideration to workers’ proposals.