Podcast appearances and mentions of richard wagstaff

The government is shifting WorkSafe's priorities from enforcement, to giving more advice. Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff joins Emile Donovan to share the history of May Day, a historic workers' rights commemoration, after 5,000 salaried medical professionals striked for 24-hours today.

Unions are disputing the Government's reasoning for scrapping living wage contract rules. This move is part of a wider proposal to simplify the procurement process for companies wanting Government contracts. Council of Trade Unions President, Richard Wagstaff, says the argument that small businesses are missing out because they can't afford wages doesn't make sense. "What it is, basically, is a standard. And everyone bidding for Government contracts has to meet the same standard, so there's no disadvantage to a small, medium or large businesses. They're all on the same playing field." Wagstaff explained that small businesses can be competitive. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 12 March 2025, with a Ukraine ceasefire deal now on the table - is Russia going to agree? Ryan Bridge speaks to Russia expert Alexey Muraviev. CTU president Richard Wagstaff tells Ryan why he wants the government to hold on to its living wage rules for procurements. Why is Briscoes boss Rod Duke telling the Government to get its A into G to help the economy? Plus, Ryan really really hates his food scraps bin - so much he's considering moving to Whanganui! Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows more people are concerned about work, housing, and health, according to research by NZCTU. The council's annual Mood of the Workforce survey polled over 1900 people - and many of these respondents have voiced concern with the direction the Government has taken the country. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says there's been a significant shift in the last 12 months - as people believe the Government isn't looking out for the interests of workers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows more people are concerned about work, housing, and health, according to research by NZCTU. The council's annual Mood of the Workforce survey polled over 1900 people - and many of these respondents have voiced concern with the direction the Government has taken the country. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says there's been a significant shift in the last 12 months - as people believe the Government isn't looking out for the interests of workers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CTU President Richard Wagstaff joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about Maranga Ake on October 23rd up and down the country. Maranga Ake are hui across the country to fight back against the Government's ongoing attacks on workers' rights. ================================= Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠ Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter. @patbrittenden @Chewie_NZ

On the 23rd of October, a nationwide hui will be held by thousands of workers in 12 different places in the country, following policies coming into place since the current government took power last year that impacts workers' rights, such as abolishing fair pay agreements, and mass job cuts in the public sector. According to RNZ's tracker, 2000 public service jobs have been cut from the period of December last year to June this year, with 7000 being cut from the public sector. News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU), Richard Wagstaff, about the plans for the nationwide hui, and what the NZCTU hope to get out of this day of action.

This week on the Tuesday Wire For Dear Science this week, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted to us about Monarch Butterfly Migration, Worms and Snails, and the Tasmanian Tiger genome.  In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about polling numbers and catering spending.  On the Green Desk, Jack Marshall heads to The Shed to talk to some tinkers.  And Producer Joel spoke to the President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Richard Wagstaff, about a nationwide hui occurring tomorrow over worker's concerns regarding legislation the government has implemented since forming a government last year.

This week on the Tuesday Wire For Dear Science this week, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted to us about Monarch Butterfly Migration, Worms and Snails, and the Tasmanian Tiger genome.  In our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire host Castor spoke to MP Katie Nimon about polling numbers and catering spending.  On the Green Desk, Jack Marshall heads to The Shed to talk to some tinkers.  And Producer Joel spoke to the President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, Richard Wagstaff, about a nationwide hui occurring tomorrow over worker's concerns regarding legislation the government has implemented since forming a government last year.

On the 23rd of October, a nationwide hui will be held by thousands of workers in 12 different places in the country, following policies coming into place since the current government took power last year that impacts workers' rights, such as abolishing fair pay agreements, and mass job cuts in the public sector. According to RNZ's tracker, 2000 public service jobs have been cut from the period of December last year to June this year, with 7000 being cut from the public sector. News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU), Richard Wagstaff, about the plans for the nationwide hui, and what the NZCTU hope to get out of this day of action.

The government is introducing new tests to define whether workers are employees or contractors. It comes after a Court of Appeal case ruled four Uber drivers were employees and should receive benefits like holiday pay. Ingrid Hipkiss spoke to Council of Trade Unions President, Richard Wagstaff and Business NZ Advocacy Director, Catherine Beard.

A radio show and podcast from Unions Manawatū looking at union activities and issues around the region, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Axing fair pay agreements will shave up to $10,000 a year off a bus drivers salary according to the Council of Trade Unions. The government plans to get rid of the policy by Christmas, putting an end to half a dozen agreements part way through the process. Among them are the hospitality industry, security officers and commerical cleaners. FPAs allowed unions to negotiate sector wide agreements for some industries. Council of Trade Unions national president Richard Wagstaff, who's been involved with negotiating the bus drivers' agreement, speaks to Lisa Owen. (V [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6342822827112

The Council of Trade Unions has fired back against Brooke van Velden, claiming she shared false information. This dispute is centred around the Government's proposed repeal of Fair Pay Agreements, a promise they campaigned on during the election. CTU President Richard Wagstaff says van Velden never had a proper consultation on repealing Fair Pay Agreements. "We had no idea she had a Cabinet paper, she'd had official advice, there was a hold of issues- she never raised anything." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business leaders want to see quick changes from the new National-led government, scrapping fair pay agreements and reintroducing 90-day trials. Unions say that's nothing but bad news for workers. Business NZ chief executive Kirk Hope, and Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

The Labour Party's Fair Pay Legislation was passed with the intention of creating industry standards for employee's pay and working conditions. The National Party has campaigned on repealling the legislation. Following the preliminary results, it seems likely that the bill could be scrapped. Nicholas spoke to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff about the potential ramifications of scrapping Fair Pay Agreements.

The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Allan Blackman to discuss new revelations about human taste buds, painting with DNA, and the history of Nylon. Nicholas spoke to to Mihingarangi Forbes about the coverage of Māori issues in the lead up to the election. Nicholas also spoke to NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff about the National Party's plans to repeal the fair Pay Agreement legislation. Producer Josh spoke to to Lisa McLaren about the the ram raid offending and related measures bill.  

The Council of Trade Unions is hoping the new Government will be more responsive to their needs.  The CTU want to see the new government's plans for infrastructure, solving child poverty, and post-cyclone recovery.  They believe the loss of fair pay agreements will impact many industries, such as those working in hospitality.  Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff told Kerre Woodham that individual workers are vulnerable.  He said that it's not easy for them to stand up to their employers if they feel they aren't being paid fairly.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is facing heat from another angle after the Council of Trade Unions launched a highly visible advertising campaign explaining - in its words - why the country will be worse off under a Christopher Luxon-led government. The ads - on billboards and in newspapers - have been slammed by National as a nasty "American style" personal attack campaign and accused the CTU of being "intimately connected" with Labour. That claim is denied by the Labour leader Chris Hipkins. CTU president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Council of Trade Unions are defending their ad attack on National's leader. Their billboards and newspaper ads call Chris Luxon 'out of touch' and 'too much risk'. National's campaign chair Chris Bishop is accusing Labour of being behind it, but the CTU president says they're not in cahoots with Labour. President Richard Wagstaff says it's their job to call out someone who's 'going after working people'. "He's the leader, the buck stops with him. He's put out a set of policies that will undermine working people- it's our job to call him out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Nat's tax plan – is good – and we know it's good for two reasons, one, because of all the positive feedback it's had, and two, because of how ropeable the Government are about it.   They are dark on it because they know they've been badly exposed here, by a sensible party doing sensible things, which reeks of common sense.   It reminds us just what common sense feels like - a distant memory for most of us politically these days let's be honest.   But the left are increasingly angry – they're on the ropes and you can feel it.  They're alleging all sorts of crazy and negative claims against the right, they're starting to look unhinged. Cue the government's cheerleaders stage left - the Unions.   Now here's where this whole thing's going to come unstuck and it's all going to backfire on them.   Yesterday the CTU launched an attack ad on Luxon – by mistake, it apparently got launched early by mistake.   But it was a digital billboard with a big close-up picture of an angry looking Luxon, with the caption, ‘Out of touch, too much risk.'    The ad has since been removed – but it's a signal of what's to come and where the left's heads are at; fighting dirty.   NZ Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff authorized the billboard, but the ad agency put it up before the Union itself had signed it off. It's scheduled to run next week.   And here's what voters should be worried about, undecided voters, of which there are tons, don't tend to like dirty tactics - women in particular don't like it.   They don't like personal attacks and name calling, and this is what this whole campaign is.  If you are someone who's paying union fees to the CTU, how do you feel about them spending money on this sort of negative highly personal style attack?   How do you feel about the Unions tight and perhaps now blind allegiance to a government that's pumped up your cost of living and delivered you very little?   The CTU's time and energy and money would surely be better spent on initiatives, ideas or policies that could advance the plight of its members.   There seems increasingly no separation between the Labour government and the CTU - both seem blinded by the same ideology, both seem out of step with the people who prop up their coffers.   Why are members fees not being sheeted towards billboards demanding better working conditions, policies that work better for them, new ideas around how to get real traction on solutions around pay and conditions.   For a government that campaigned last time on kindness and hugs and teddy bears, how do they justify this time round going so rogue? So gutter? So scrappy?   Even members of Labour's own support base are abandoning them. As the left's very own Chris Trotter pointed out the other day, this government has been so divisive, that it refuses to now work with anyone who ‘doesn't embrace Labour's radical social agenda.'   Trotter wrote, ‘once celebrated for its broad inclusiveness, Hipkins' party has opted to greet potential supporters with a grim pair of ideological bouncers.'  Trotter suggests that ‘those who balk at co-governance, or reject trans women competing against biological women in sport', are ‘no longer welcome inside Labour's ‘big tent'.   The party's broadchurch is increasingly, I reckon, looking like a narrow field of radical ideologues and rabid attack dogs, who when cornered, can only bite back and fight dirty.   If this election is a fight for the middle swing voter, then I think this tactic of the left is a sure-fire way to lose them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustrations are building over slow progress to reassess manufacturers deemed to be putting tradies at high risk of silica dust exposure. Fatal lung disease silicosis can develop after breathing in silica dust when dry-cutting artificial stone - the type used for kitchen benchtops. In February this year, WorkSafe identified 78 businesses who were not compliant with protective measures to keep workers safe from silica dust inhalation. But as of July 31st, only 17 reassessment visits had been completed, and of those, some were still not effectively managing risks. In 2020, ACC developed a tool to identify people at risk of accelerated silicosis. As of August 1st, it had 190 claims lodged for assessment. The Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) has written to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety pushing for more urgency on the issue, saying the current arrangements fail to keep workers safe. In a response the Minister says it's increasingly clear it's an issue, but WorkSafe is taking a stricter approach to enforcement. Professor Lin Fritschi was active in the campaign to ban silica products in Australia - a move it is now fast-tracking, becoming the first country in the world to do so. Professor Fritschi and NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff speak with Kathryn Ryan.

Public-private partnerships have sparked debate, following the release of Health NZ's operating model. The agency's new operating model mentions private sector participation as an investment option for hospitals- but the Government doesn't believe it's an appropriate way to fund health infrastructure. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says PPPs are a good deal for private businesses- but haven't worked out for taxpayers. "The Government can always borrow money- if they make a profit, they'd have to borrow money more expensively, and it leaves us really holding the can, particularly if it goes wrong."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bus drivers eagerly await their turn to discuss working conditions today. Transport Minister Michael Wood is meeting with union representatives in Auckland - the hot topics: wages and conditions. More than 500 bus drivers have been hired since November, meaning Go Bus and NZ Bus numbers in main centres will be back to full strength in coming weeks. Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff told Kate Hawkesby says the conditions need to be improved. He says some drivers are working over time and getting fatigued on the job. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bus drivers eagerly await their turn to discuss working conditions today. Transport Minister Michael Wood is meeting with union representatives in Auckland - the hot topics: wages and conditions. More than 500 bus drivers have been hired since November, meaning Go Bus and NZ Bus numbers in main centres will be back to full strength in coming weeks. Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff told Kate Hawkesby says the conditions need to be improved. He says some drivers are working over time and getting fatigued on the job. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In what is the country's largest ever initiative to reduce carbon emissions , the government is partnering with New Zealand Steel to install a Clean Electric Arc Furnace at the Glenbrook Steel Mill in South Auckland. It will cut 800,000 of emissions, that's 5% of national emissions in its first few years - the same as taking 300,000 cars off the road. The cost of the project is $300 million and the taxpayer is stumping up $140 million of that. The Council of Trade Unions is hailing an Emissions Reduction Plan for the Glenbrook steel mill as a blueprint for the transitioning away from fossil fuels. CTU president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Guyon Espiner this morning.

The Council of Trade Unions wants the government to ban engineered stone benchtops due to the risks to workers from making the benches. People manufacturing them are being exposed to dangerous levels of silica dust, causing terminal illnesses like lung cancer, silicosis, and other diseases. In Australia, engineered stone is being described as the new asbestos, and lawmakers are looking at banning its use. CTU president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Council of Trade Unions is hoping for further moves on pay equity from the incoming prime minister. Chris Hipkins says his government will fix big issues such as the "inflation pandemic" hurting New Zealanders, and has pledged to lift incomes. Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Guyon Espiner.  

Businesses are hoping that the new Prime Minister will change the Government's agenda. Former Business NZ Chief Executive Phil O'Reilly told Tim Dower that he wants to see the new PM focus on the policy changes businesses have been asking for. On the other hand, the Council of Trade Unions is hoping for a smooth transition of power. President Richard Wagstaff says that he wants the Government to continue building on its momentum it has when it comes to reforming New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's set to be a big day for unions with the Fair Pay Agreements system coming into effect tomorrow. It means eligible unions can apply to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for approval to begin bargaining for a specific industry. The Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff says he understands many unions are ready to hit the ground running. "Once they've initiated, then we'd expect the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to verify their signatures and then there will be a process where employers will be notified." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legislation setting up a legal framework for collective bargaining across industries is set to become law. The Fair Pay Agreements Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament, with the support of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.  The bill provides a framework for collective bargaining across occupations - like cleaners, supermarket workers and security guards - rather than just between unions and employers. National and Act oppose the measures, which they say will hurt small businesses, and vow to repeal the law if elected next year. Business NZ chief executive Kirk Hope and New Zealand Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.  

A once-in a generation shift for workers' rights. The Fair Pay Agreements legislation is expected to pass its third reading in Parliament later today. The rules will mean if a thousand employees, or 10 percent of a workforce, agree to start the collective bargaining process, that process is automatically triggered. Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff says it's going to make an impact in industries where employers are in a race to the bottom. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of New Zealand's best known union leaders, Ken Douglas, has died aged 86. Known as Red Ken, Ken Douglas was the inaugural president of the Council of Trade Unions from 1987 until 1999. He was known for butting heads with former National Party leader Robert Muldoon, and has been described as a towering figure by current CTU president, Richard Wagstaff. Mr Wagstaff spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Worksafe are calling for a renewed focus on health and safety in the construction industry. At least two workers have died on the job every month since the start of 2021. The Council of Trade Unions also agrees that it is unacceptable, and their president Richard Wagstaff joins me this morning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Union for workers locked out of the Essity mill in Kawerau says the company's launched legal action against its own staff. The Pulp and Paper Workers Union says the toilet paper company is seeking to make 67 employees "jointly and severally liable" with the union for $542,852 of damages plus costs. Nearly 150 workers have been locked out from their workplace for three weeks after seeking a pay increase. The company has not responded to our request for an interview - later in the programme we'll be talking to the union. Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Māni Dunlop.  

It's an rivalry as old as time itself - business versus unions The Fair Pay Agreement bill is winding its way through parliament - it would mean minimum pay and conditions collectively set for entire industries or occupations. Only 10 percent of a workforce would have to want it to go to the bargaining table, and if employers and employees can't agree it's kicked up to the Employment Relations Authority to sort. Today we speak to the Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff, and Business NZ CEO Kirk Hope.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yet another port worker has been killed on the job and unions have united in a call for urgent action. The death at Lyttelton Port yesterday comes just six days after the death of Atiroa Tuaiti at the Ports of Auckland. Three separte investigations are now underway, - by the Police, Maritime NZ, and the Lyttelton Port Company. New Zealand Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The Government has taken another step towards fulfilling its pre-election promise to lift incomes and improve working conditions of everyday Kiwis. The Fair Pay Agreements Bill was introduced to Parliament yesterday and is expected to pass into law later this year. Under the bill, employees will be able to force their employers to negotiate working conditions and pay if at least 10% of their workforce or 1000 staff agree to it. Objectors believe the legislation will only drive up costs for businesses and it's the type of legislation we would've expected to see in the 70s and 80s. In favour of Fair Pay Agreements is the early childhood sector - they believe FPAs will help retain more teachers. The Council of Trade Unions' say Fair Pay Agreements would put New Zealand on par with the rest of the world. CTU President Richard Wagstaff says Australia's modern awards system has been in operation for years - and its wages outstrip New Zealand's. Richard Wagstaff and Business New Zealand Chief Executive Kirk Hope joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has taken another step towards fulfilling its pre-election promise to lift incomes and improve working conditions of everyday Kiwis. The Fair Pay Agreements Bill was introduced to Parliament yesterday and is expected to pass into law later this year. Under the bill, employees will be able to force their employers to negotiate working conditions and pay if at least 10% of their workforce or 1000 staff agree to it. Objectors believe the legislation will only drive up costs for businesses and it's the type of legislation we would've expected to see in the 70s and 80s. In favour of Fair Pay Agreements is the early childhood sector - they believe FPAs will help retain more teachers. The Council of Trade Unions' say Fair Pay Agreements would put New Zealand on par with the rest of the world. CTU President Richard Wagstaff says Australia's modern awards system has been in operation for years - and its wages outstrip New Zealand's. Richard Wagstaff and Business New Zealand Chief Executive Kirk Hope joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVE 

Two thirds of New Zealanders don't have the financial reserves they'd need to get through three months without a pay cheque. This has come from CTU research, saying the workforce is incredibly vulnerable to an economic shock, such as an Omicron Covid-19 outbreak. CTU president, Richard Wagstaff joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE  

Business New Zealand has stirred up an industrial hornet's nest by refusing to be a formal partner in the government's Fair Pay Agreements. The group said it had rejected the government's offer to be a default bargaining agent for employer and industry groups, having made it clear from the outset that the agreements - or FPA's - aren't needed. It's a move that has garnered support in some quarters but not in others. The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions backs the FPA legislation, saying it provides a minimum floor for wages and conditions - and prevents worker exploitation. Business New Zealand chief executive Kirk Hope and CTU president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

Business New Zealand has stirred up an industrial hornet's nest by refusing to be a formal partner in the government's Fair Pay Agreements. The group said it had rejected the government's offer to be a default bargaining agent for employer and industry groups, having made it clear from the outset that the agreements - or FPA's - aren't needed. It's a move that has garnered support in some quarters but not in others. The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions backs the FPA legislation, saying it provides a minimum floor for wages and conditions - and prevents worker exploitation. Business New Zealand chief executive Kirk Hope and CTU president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

The Prime Minister says if customers must be vaccinated, then so too, must the workers at place where a vaccine certificate required. Employees who refuse vaccinations within a four week notice period can be fired. New Zealand Council of Trade Unions national president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

The Prime Minister says if customers must be vaccinated, then so too, must the workers at place where a vaccine certificate required. Employees who refuse vaccinations within a four week notice period can be fired. New Zealand Council of Trade Unions national president Richard Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

This week on Friday Faceoff: Former ACT MP Heather Roy and Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff talk Delta arriving in Wellington, was our rescue mission to Afghanistan too late and should supermarket workers and police have been vaccinated weeks ago. 

From tomorrow, Kiwi workers will see a doubling on their sick leave entitlement - a move described as a game changer by workers' rights advocates.Most employees who have worked for an employer for six months will now be entitled to 10 days paid leave if they, or a dependent, are sick or injured or have a dependent who is sick or injured.Employees will get the extra five days when they reach their next entitlement date – either after reaching 6 months' employment or on their sick leave entitlement anniversary.Employees who already get 10 or more sick days a year will not be affected by the change.The maximum amount of unused sick leave that an employee can be entitled to will remain 20 days.The move is welcomed by the New Zealand Public Service Association secretary Kerry Davies who said lack of leave had seen workers "battling on" and "coming into work" when unwell."The doubling of statutory sick leave entitlement from five days to 10 will make a huge difference to hundreds of thousands of working people."Covid has shown us very clearly how important it is to stay home and recover when we are unwell."Davies said the increased leave would be of direct benefit to parents and families with dependents who were injured or sick and needed care."Being able to take sick leave, rather than annual leave, means people can use annual leave for its intended purpose - rest, relaxation and recuperation."The importance of using the correct leave for time away from work was echoed by the head of a large recruitment agency.A recent survey by Frog Recruitment found more than half of New Zealand workers were choosing to work from home when feeling unwell instead of using their sick leave.The survey found 56 per cent of respondents said they used their work-from-home privileges instead of their sick leave entitlements when feeling under the weather.Of the more than 250 surveyed, 28 per cent said they have taken more sick leave due to having Covid-19 symptoms since the first lockdown.Shannon Barlow, Frog Recruitment managing director, said employees continuing to work from home when sick was coming at a high price for employers."Ultimately there's a huge cost to the employer when the wrong leave pass is redeemed."Sick leave accrues for employees who are in fact sick, but choose to work from home away from their colleagues."Barlow said the survey revealed a grey area for employers managing their workforce's sick leave, despite the new model of adapting to flexible work policies being largely beneficial for employers and employees."Our best advice is to be fair to your employer and transparent with your manager - if you're using work-from-home privilege to hibernate at home because your throat is scratchy, then inform them."Reasonable managers will agree that if the throat tickle develops into a more sinister cold, then it is time to activate your sick leave. That's what it's there for."Barlow said the information they were getting from clients was that they were seeing an increase in sick leave since 2020 due to mental health problems.Main pointsBoth full and part-time employees accrue 10 days leaveEmployees can use the leave to care for a sick or injured partner, child or dependent.Sick pay is paid at a rate equivalent to what the employee would have been paid on the day they are off sick.An employer can ask for a medical certificate if the period of absence is three days or more.Text by Kirsty Wynn, NZ Herald

John Shennan talks to Richard Wagstaff.

We've been hearing the phrase “social insurance” a lot since the government released the 2021 budget last week. It's an idea designed to deal with unemployment we're going to see a lot more of in the years to come, but it also brings up issues of inequality and fairness. Would introducing unemployment insurance just help embed a two-tier system in which the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor? To find out how it could work in practice, Bernard Hickey speaks to Kirk Hope from BusinessNZ and NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff.When the Facts Change is brought to you by The Spinoff Podcast Network together with Kiwibank. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wednesday 12th May, 2021 The AM Show The government has back tracked from the public sector pay freeze. Richard Wagstaff, CTU President joined the team to talk about what happened, what should have happened and where things are going to go from here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Council of Trade Unions is among a swag of organisations to hit out at the government's public sector pay freeze. After nearly a week of anger from public service unions at the three-year pay restrictions, they'll get air their opposition in two key meetings at Parliament today. The Public Service Association will hold talks with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern while CTU president Richard Wagstaff will meet with Chris Hipkins, the public services minister. Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

The Council of Trade Unions is among a swag of organisations to hit out at the government's public sector pay freeze. After nearly a week of anger from public service unions at the three-year pay restrictions, they'll get air their opposition in two key meetings at Parliament today. The Public Service Association will hold talks with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern while CTU president Richard Wagstaff will meet with Chris Hipkins, the public services minister. Wagstaff spoke to Corin Dann.

Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins has announced that public servants earning more than $60,000 will only be offered pay increases under select circumstances for the next three years. There will be no pay increases for those earning more than $100,000 or senior leaders. The move extends a measure brought in last year, set to expire next month. The police union - the Police Association - is labeling the three year public sector wage freeze an unacceptable bombshell. The Council of Trade Unions president, Richard Wagstaff, join Karyn Hay to look at what the continued payfreeze will mean.

Kyle, Branko and Justine cover some of the week's politics before talking with President of the NZ Council of Trade Unions, Richard Wagstaff, about workers rights in Wellington following strike action and an indefinite lockout of NZ Bus workers by their employer.

Unions and business representatives are backing Labour's new election policy. The Labour Party launched its re-election campaign yesterday by pledging $311 million for its flexi-wage scheme.It'll give businesses a subsidy of between $7500 and $22,000 to get people off the benefit.BusinessNZ CEO Kirk Hope told Francesca Rudkin that they are pleased to see the major parties, particularly Labour, talking about jobs and business so far in their policy launches. He says that, by and large, this scheme is a good policy."It is hard to assess how effective one or other policy would be without seeing the whole economic plan and it's something they'd need to work on, particular with the business community."Employers and Manufacturers Association CEO Brett O'Riley says while it's a tough time for businesses, sectors like manufacturing and construction are looking to take on workers.The Council of Trade Unions says Labour's plan will provide some stability for working people in the months ahead.CTU president Richard Wagstaff says we know the economic headwinds are going to be with us for a while and it's crucial to keep people in work."We're glad to see the Government putting its money where its mouth is. It made plenty of statements about unemployment has spiraled out of control, we were wondering what they were going to do about it."Employers and Manufacturers Association CEO Brett O'Riley says extending the scheme to encourage people into self-employment and entrepreneurship is a good move."There are definitely some very good opportunities for using online for example for people to set up their business, and it's great to see that recognised."