Citizen’s arrest powers will put workers in harm’s way – NZCTU

The Government’s announcement to change citizen’s arrest powers shows workers will bear the brunt of their lack of a plan to deal with retail crime, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff.

“If the proposed changes to citizen’s arrests laws are any indication of what is to come, there will be serious implications for worker safety and employment rights in pursuit of minor savings for retailers,” said Wagstaff.

“Setting the expectation that workers on the shopfloor will be required to prevent shoplifting and retail crime will only increase the risk of violence and undermines workers’ right to a safe and healthy workplace.

“Good employers don’t put workers’ lives at risk to save a few dollars.

“We should be focusing on ways of work that remove hazards from the workplace, not create them. Employers must work with employees on creating safe workplaces, and what the business will do to achieve that.

“There are serious employment and criminal law concerns for workers and the public by putting workers in harm’s way to save their boss a few bucks. Crimefighting is not within the scope of retail workers’ employment duties.

“Workers in Aotearoa New Zealand have the legal right to a safe and healthy workplace. They also have the legal right to stop or say no to any work if they believe that doing the work would expose them, or anyone else, to a serious health or safety risk,” said Wagstaff.