Union role 'conflict' for Labour president

Attention has been drawn to the dual role of Andrew Little as union head and Labour Party president, after his union's criticism of the Government's nine-day fortnight proposal.

Under the Job Support Scheme, employees who take up the nine-day option instead of being made redundant would get a $62.50 subsidy from the Government to help make up the 10th day's pay.

Mr Little last week said that members "simply won't wear that sort of loss" - a view that put his Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union at odds with a softer stance by the Council of Trade Unions.

Prime Minister John Key was asked about maintaining a relationship with the EPMU when it was headed by a direct political opponent.

The Government had been inclusive when planning the scheme and Mr Key suggested the EPMU's stance was disappointing.

"We worked on the nine-day fortnight very closely with the unions because we thought - not exclusively - that unionised workplaces would be the sort of areas that would take it up initially," he said. "My understanding is that there are a number of companies looking at it and one or two of them come from the EPMU."

It wasn't his business to say whether or not it would be prudent for Mr Little to step aside from his union role, Mr Key said.

"But the risk, I think, for the EPMU is that his words become discredited because they become seen as a mouthpiece for the Labour Party and not an advocate for the union."

The differing stance on the nine-day scheme between the CTU and the EPMU "wasn't helpful".

However, Mr Key acknowledged unions tended to be more aligned with left-leaning political parties and that was likely to continue.

"We will work with him and are prepared to put relationships to one side, but he is going to have to manage the process, or the perception I think."

Previously Mr Little said he was confident of being able to run the union effectively and also work with a National Government.

- NZPA