In 1945 Labour Minister of Works Bob Semple said of newly introduced benefits, "There is a duty, too, on individuals to respond to a benevolent government that does that, and to pull their weight....Malingering on the job, stupid stop-work meetings, and all kinds of 'monkey tricks' played on industry will not help to make this measure a success...A country can only survive and prosper and retain humanitarian measures if every man, woman and child contributes his quota to the common weal. They must put their shoulders to the tasks allotted to them and pull their weight...If they regard this as something sacred which will give the rest of the world a lead, they will work as they have never worked before."
In 2007, Labour MP Darien Fenton says, “As New Zealanders enjoy the Labour Day weekend, we need to take a moment to pause and reflect on the expectations of today’s Labour market. Long hours, shift and weekend work, unpaid overtime and in many cases, insecure hours have become entrenched in New Zealand working conditions and that’s not good enough”.
1 comment:
No one can accuse Darien Fenton of working too hard. This is about the first thing I have heard from her this parliament. Let me guess, before parliament she was a teacher or a union organiser?
Brian Smaller
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