The minimum wage would freeze for three years, a training wage for under 20s would be introduced, and personal grievance rules would be tightened under a new ACT small business policy revealed today.
The minimum wage freeze aimed to helps small businesses, the party said, with companies not having to worry about increased payments and hiring issues.
A training wage would also be introduced for workers under 20, meaning businesses would have the option of paying employees 60% of the minimum wage for up to a year.
ACT's small business spokesperson Laura McClure said the proposed changes will alleviate pressures on employers.
"Annual mandated increases to minimum wage have outpaced productivity," the party said.
"For a small business operating on tight margins, it can mean higher prices, fewer hours, reduced hiring, lower investment, or deciding not to create a job in the first place."
The minimum wage is currently $23.95. The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety is required by law to review the minimum wages annually.
McClure said laws designed to improve pay and conditions "haven't done the job".
"Truly higher wages require businesses that can grow. ACT's policies will grow productivity so people can genuinely take home more at the end of the week.
“For too long, New Zealand politics has been trapped in zero-sum thinking. When a business succeeds, someone else must have lost. When a company makes a profit, politicians look for a way to tax it, regulate it, break it up, or cut it down."
Personal grievance rules were also targeted under the proposals, including shortening the length of time personal grievance proceedings needed to be lodges with the Employment Relations Authority.
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