The Role of Collective Bargaining in Paid Parental Leave Policy in New Zealand?

Abstract

Labour MP Sue Moroney’s Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months' Paid Leave) Amendment Bill to extend paid parental leave (PPL) to 26 weeks by 2014 was drawn from the Member's ballot in April and made it past its first reading in July, with all parties except National and Act indicating their support. One of the objectives of this bill, according to its sponsor, is to bring New Zealand in line with the rest of the industrialised world. In many industrialised countries, however, in the absence of any statutory entitlement, collective bargaining has played a crucial role both in determining PPL policies and in shaping legislative initiatives (Gregory and Milner 2009; Baird and Murray 2012). This article considers the role of collective bargaining in PPL policy in New Zealand.