From the press room
UF opposes KiwiSaver amendment – 2008-09-03
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says he can’t understand why the Government is ramming through Parliament an amendment to the KiwiSaver legislation which employers say will disadvantage the lower-paid.
“The Government argues it’s necessary to crack down on employers who negotiate pay deals with their employees that sees the employee pay the employer contribution to KiwiSaver while the employer pockets the $20 a week tax credit the Government gives to meet the cost of KiwiSaver.
“But the employers argue this means workers in the KiwiSaver scheme are paid more than their colleagues, leading to workplace disharmony and disruption.
“If there are ratbag bosses out there who exploit loopholes in the law, then by all means get stuck into them, but surely it’s not necessary to cause widespread upset in the workplace just to punish the few.
“The irony is that the amendment now before Parliament will disadvantage lower-paid and elderly workers – exactly the people the Labour Party claims to represent,” said Mr Dunne.