Sick on sick leave: law calls on Greens pressure for double sick leave as evidence of ‘far-left agenda

Another case of a retail worker who was allegedly forced by her boss to go to work despite waiting for the Covid-19 test result has come to light.

The woman works in the Auckland CBD and was only turned away by her employer when she sought help from Unite Union, which intervened.

The case came to light after reports that her manager told an AUT student to take her shift at AZ Collections on High St, but then tested positive for Covid-19 the next day.

This was reported by the Ministry of Health, but has been disputed by the store manager and later in an affidavit from the woman.

Unite Union organizer Ben Peterson said the second case of a worker ordered to ignore health tips was further proof that the Labor Party should fulfill its promise to double legal sick leave to 10 days. for Christmas.

This has been requested by the Greens’ industrial relations spokesperson, Jan Logie, who said that Covid-19 made the measure “urgent.”

“The difference between five and 10 days off could be the difference between a higher community transmission of Covid-19 or not.”

Peterson agreed.

“We have organizers from the far north to the deep south and I would say that every day one of our organizers would see to it that retail staff are forced to go to work while they are sick,” Peterson said.

“There is a widespread culture that sick leave is not taken seriously.

“The government that brings this urgently would point out the importance of this.”

The Act Party said the Greens’ momentum showed they would “do anything to promote a far-left agenda.”

The bill’s labor relations spokesman Chris Baillie said small businesses couldn’t afford an additional five days of sick leave on top of “one of the highest minimum wages in the world, a new public holiday, ‘fair wage agreements ‘and all other costs. adding “.

“So far only 2000 people in New Zealand have had Covid-19. Only the Greens would believe that giving 2.7 million workers five days off is the way to help a handful of people who really need 14 days off.

“Or maybe the Greens know this idea won’t help fight Covid-19, but will do anything to promote a far-left agenda.”

The Greens’ industrial relations spokesperson Jan Logie urged the Labor Party this morning to hurry to fulfill its electoral promise to double sick leave to be in effect before Christmas.

“The difference between five and 10 days off could be the difference between a higher community transmission of Covid-19 or not.”

But Labor Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood has ruled out making the change before the summer break.

Wood said the bill would be introduced this year before the House rises, but will go through the normal public consultation process, which means it will go into effect next year.

National Labor Relations spokesman Scott Simpson praised Wood for committing the bill to go through all consultation processes and criticized the Greens for urgently wanting to push it forward.

“It’s no wonder Greens want to hurry up and spend other people’s money. They never miss an opportunity to do that.”

Simpson said National would wait to see the draft legislation before taking a position on it, depending on the impact it would have on companies that had been through a difficult year.