“Workers are dealing with the existing cost of living crisis while struggling to pay their fuel bills just to get to their jobs, and employers are milking the geopolitical issues for all they’re worth.”
According to Maga, New Zealand would suffer in the long-term if employers used the ongoing crisis to “get rid” of workers and push for lower wages and worse employment conditions.
“The solution to the crisis and the growing exodus of workers to Australia is higher wages and better working conditions, not austerity and more government attacks on our rights at work,” he added.
Maga made the remarks as nine per cent of companies in New Zealand reduced their headcount in the March quarter, according to the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER).
The research, which was carried out shortly after the Middle East crisis erupted, further found that another five per cent of employers are planning to carry out retrenchments in the next quarter.