Employer Bulletin | 29 June 2026
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Here's what is leading the news for employers this week:
Legislation to implement the historic New Zealand – India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has passed its first reading, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says.
“India is one of the world’s largest economies and is the fastest-growing economy in the G20. With a GDP equivalent to seven trillion New Zealand dollars and an average growth of 8.25 percent since 2021, it represents a major opportunity for New Zealand businesses.
“Many New Zealand products are effectively locked out of the India market because of high tariffs and restrictive quotas. This FTA will level the playing field because it will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to India.
“From day one, 57 percent of our exports will be tariff-free. This will unlock new opportunities to grow our goods and services exports into a market of 1.4 billion people and contribute to achieving the Government’s goal of doubling the value of exports by 2034.
“The FTA also futureproofs our wine exports and priority services access by securing a Most-Favoured-Nation commitment, which ensures that we will automatically benefit from improved access given to other Indian FTA partners.
“We are working towards ratification later this year.”
In today’s Bulletin:
Contribution to own dismissal cuts into successful lawsuit
Redundancy is genuine but consultation was not
Employer must abide by mistaken statement on benefit eligibility
Employee’s passing did not raise personal grievance
Authority recommends remuneration package to resolve stalled bargaining
Six news updates of interest for employers including:
99.5 per cent benefiting from KiwiSaver change
India FTA bill passes first reading
$215 million boost from new travel option
Tourism Policy Statement sets sector direction
Economic snapshot: March 2026 quarter
Funding boost for hospices across New Zealand
Six Bills open for submission
If you have any questions, about this case or other employment relation matters, call the Advice Line team on 0800 800 362.
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