Labour Pays Union Pound Of Flesh
Tony Ryall
Youth Affairs
Labour will turn to legislation introducing compulsory unionism to sate the appetite of its union backers for power, Minister of Youth Affairs Tony Ryall said today.
"The unions will demand their pound of flesh in return for supporting the Labour Party in the coming election year. Labour will have to find the means to pay the union protection fee," Mr Ryall said.
"Labour's Workplace Relations Bill, sponsored by the Council of Trade Unions, would cost a Labour-Alliance coalition little to introduce, but the social and economic cost to the country would be huge.
"A return to compulsory unionism would ransom the country back into the hands of unions for which striking is the principal negotiating tool. New Zealand families would lose their jobs and incomes. Young people will be among the first to suffer.
"The effect of National's taxometer has been to expose the folly of Labour's spending promises. We've already seen some major backdowns on some of their key social policies because the public knows Labour's promises are not worth the paper they're printed on.
"Labour cannot afford to have the unions shift camp to the Alliance which is working hard to win back their favour.
"Already, the Alliance party is shamelessly fundraising for elements of the union movement - the firefighter's union is being paid 40 per cent of the profits of Alliance MP Grant Gillon's book."