Workers expect things 'to get much worse' under new government

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Richard Wagstaff says the survey results are a “bleak picture”.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

People have described struggling to pay for the basics, stressing about work and the “ridiculous” cost of living in a recent survey of New Zealand’s workforce.

Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (CTU) president Richard Wagstaff said the sixth annual Mood of the Workforce survey, which gathered 2000 responses, aimed to bring the voice of the people to decision makers.

He said the results painted a sobering picture – with workers worried about their incomes and rights under the new government.

“I think it shows that working people have been struggling a lot over the last few years with the cost of living, with making ends meet, but what they expect from this new government is for things to get much worse.”

There were many comments about how quickly the government had moved to remove fair pay agreements, introduce 90 day trials, remove social insurance and make big job cuts in the public sector, he said.

The survey found more than two thirds of working people felt the new government’s policies would make it harder to meet cost of living pressures – and three quarters said it would be harder to get a fair pay rise.

Wagstaff said it showed people were feeling insecure at work, and were worried about job security and the wellbeing of their families.

“All in all it’s a bleak picture and a bleak expectation that people have about the quality of work in New Zealand in the coming months and the year ahead.”

The concerns were held across all age and gender cohorts and were consistent across union members and non-union members, he said.