No surprises and the Fair Pay Agreements slapdown

No surprises and the Fair Pay Agreements slapdown
BusinessNZ ceo Kirk Hope's move to end involvement in FPAs is no surprise, but could be a sign of the end of playing nice with the govt.(Image: YouTube)
Pattrick Smellie
In the first term of the Ardern-led government, New Zealand First’s opposition to Labour’s Fair Pay Agreements (FPA) policy was the reason the policy didn’t advance.At the Council of Trade Union’s (CTU) conference in 2019, council president Richard Wagstaff likened the patience required of the union movement in its dealings with a supposedly friendly government to "having to swallow more vomit".Throughout that period, the country’s main business lobby group – BusinessNZ – had no need to articu...

More Economy

Government keeps AA+ credit rating, Fitch warns to keep ‘culture of fiscal responsibility
Economy

Government keeps AA+ credit rating, Fitch warns to keep ‘culture of fiscal responsibility

The Government has kept its AA+ credit rating from Fitch, one of the big three ratings agencies – but the agency warned that a slackening culture of fiscal responsibility, a more severe housing market correction, or an unemployment spike could see the rating reduced in future.The...

RBNZ seen cutting OCR by 25 bps, flagging easing bias
Economy

RBNZ seen cutting OCR by 25 bps, flagging easing bias

RBNZ is expected to cut its OCR rate to 3% on Wednesday.

Gas insider explains energy pain and solutions
Economy

Gas insider explains energy pain and solutions

Find more energy or face ongoing deindustrialisation, says GIC.

Liquidators looking for buyer for Wellington events company
Economy

Liquidators looking for buyer for Wellington events company

Hiremaster said it is one of Wellington's largest event equipment rental companies.

Gregor Thompson 15 Aug 2025