Unite union says increasing isolation payment won't help worker

Published: March 2, 2021, 11:15 p.m.

The Unite union says increasing the amount workers get paid if they're ordered to self-isolate won't make any difference to whether staff actually receive a payment. The National Party is proposing the Government pays 100 percent of an employee's wages and salary for two weeks, up to $68 an hour - if a person is ordered to self-isolate. It comes after criticism that people may feel obliged to work even if they're under orders to stay at home, due to their financial circumstances. Māni Dunlop spoke to the Assistant National Secretary of the Unite Union, Gerard Hehir.