20 Mar 2012

Cook Islands opposition wants progress on employment bill to stop exodus

2:52 pm on 20 March 2012

The Cook Islands opposition claims the government is letting down the people by failing to push the Employment Relations Bill through parliament.

The bill was expected to be tabled last month.

A select committee had held hearings into the measure and its report has been tabled in parliament, but the bill itself had not.

Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen says the Employment Relations Bill is urgent because it would help address the issue of low wages in the country.

He says an improved working environment might be one way of stopping people from leaving the country.

Mr Rasmussen is urging government to table the bill in the next sitting, which is still several months away.