A former Finance Minister is not a fan of the Government's Fair Pay proposals. 

A key manifesto pledge of the Labour Party in 2017, the agreements announced two weeks ago would aim to standardise and improve terms and conditions across entire industries or occupations. Labour says the agreements have "significant similarities" to Australia's modern awards system.

As well as representing a step towards collective bargaining - which was largely swept aside with the passing of the Employment Contracts Act in 1991 - the agreements would give a structural importance to the union movement, putting it at the centre of negotiations even in occupations where union coverage is negligible.

Writing in the NZ Herald, former National Finance Minister Steven Joyce hit out at the proposal. 

"The Orwellian-sounding "Fair Pay Agreements" are a big step backwards. Yes, they have been long-signalled but the announced proposals are far wider in scope than we were previously assured they would be."

He joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to discuss the agreements further and what he is concerned about. 

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