Alasdair Thompson and the 'monthly sickness'

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Thu, 23 Jun 2011 7:00p.m.

Alisdair Thompson

Alisdair Thompson

Alasdair Thompson is the CEO of the Employers Manufacturing Association. It's one of four organisations which make up Business New Zealand. 

Today Mr Thompson went on radio to debate a new bill targeting equal pay between men and women.

Mr Thompson said some women were less productive because they took more time off for things like children and monthly periods. 

Reporter Mihingarangi Forbes went to ask him what he based his information on - if you'd like to watch the full interview uncut, you can do so here.

Watch the video.

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Comments

06 Jul 2011 06:28p.m.

Elle wrote:

What a pig. It may have been underhanded to keep film him, but he showed his true colours. He never did say off the record. He's going to find it very difficult to get another job, sexist pig, firing him was the best outcome

01 Jul 2011 05:26p.m.

Alex Kimble wrote:

A truly nasty example of gutter journalism (however, it might prove useful to demonstrate to trainees how the job should not be done.) Poor Alistair Thompson, who has now apologised unreservedly again and again.....yet still the hysterical clutch of witches are baying for blood. It's a bit like those Communist `show trials' of the 1950s where the miscreants were actually given the apology script before they entered the courtroom. As an employer over 20 years I have to agree that some women had problems with pain on a monthly basis; some people's health is more fragile than others. What exactly is the problem with voicing this fact I wonder? Had I known in advance I may or may not have employed them in the first place and certainly unless they were quite outstanding in every other way I would avoid promoting them. It's common sense really. Perhaps at some stage in the future it will be safe to say aloud that the emperor has no clothes and we will all sit down quietly and examine why we went through an odd period in our social history where groups of female chauvenists were quite unable to face simple truths.

30 Jun 2011 03:16p.m.

Kevsta wrote:

What about the MAN-strual cycle of work days lost due to alcoholism and All Black-itis.

30 Jun 2011 03:05p.m.

Kev Appleton wrote:

What century do you guys live in?? Cleary not the 21st perhaps the 19th. I can't believe that in a country like NZ (rather than Saudi or Afghanistan) we are still having to have discussions about gender equality. Thompson deserves all the abuse he gets and more.

29 Jun 2011 11:55p.m.

Anna wrote:

Well done Mihirangi Forbes. I think he got off reasonably lightly though, she didn't press him to affirm his assertion that the fact women are paid on average 12.5% less than men is justified. Nor did she ask him to produce actual evidence (rather than the unverified records of one company - his own) that women take time off for periods. In order to support this claim he needs to produce statistically significant data which would mean a much bigger sample size than one company. If we are talking anecdotal evidence I can say that I have never taken a day off for a period, and my sister has a medical condition which means she does not get periods - yet as women we are both paid on average 12.5% less than our male colleagues. Also, if, as Alistair Thompson claims, women are "far more productive than men" overall and in a lifetime, then why should we be paid less? In fact by his rationale in a fair world we should be paid more although not by the employer, the difference could be made up by payments for all women from central government. His argument is absurd, scattered, ill thought through, sexist and serves to maintain women's marginalised position in society. Alistair Thompson, you do not represent employers satisfactorily; you have trouble representing your own opinion let alone those of an entire association. Resign.

29 Jun 2011 11:54p.m.

Anna wrote:

Well done Mihirangi Forbes. I think he got off reasonably lightly though, she didn't press him to affirm his assertion that the fact women are paid on average 12.5% less than men is justified. Nor did she ask him to produce actual evidence (rather than the unverified records of one company - his own) that women take time off for periods. In order to support this claim he needs to produce statistically significant data which would mean a much bigger sample size than one company. If we are talking anecdotal evidence I can say that I have never taken a day off for a period, and my sister has a medical condition which means she does not get periods - yet as women we are both paid on average 12.5% less than our male colleagues. Also, if, as Alistair Thompson claims, women are "far more productive than men" overall and in a lifetime, then why should we be paid less? In fact by his rationale in a fair world we should be paid more although not by the employer, the difference could be made up by payments for all women from central government. His argument is absurd, scattered, ill thought through, sexist and serves to maintain women's marginalised position in society. Alistair Thompson, you do not represent employers satisfactorily; you have trouble representing your own opinion let alone those of an entire association. Resign.

29 Jun 2011 03:05a.m.

Ra wrote:

He's fired up straight away in the video, but how many times had she asked that same question in many different ways in order to get him pissed off? Show the "interview" in it's entirety before the public can form an opinion. From what we saw: He states a fact that women spend more time away from work due to sick days. He give a number of scenarios as to why. She says "So when someone is sick here you ask them why are they sick and they tell you they have got heavy period pains". He denies it and get fired up because she has asked that same question time and time again. Reporter laughs and says "what? I'm asking you a serious question". Alasdair asks like a pratt. Hoorah ensues. He says He has said women should get paid more. Reporter ignores that and chases her own agenda. I stopped watching Campbell Live after JC's terrible interview with the Earthquake prediction guy and it's a shame that this is the interview and poor editiing that has grabbed my attention since. It's journalism and when Campbel Live gets it right, it's very good journalism but you must remain neutral to present the story otherwise you're presenting an opinion and you may as well join the Fox network. The true story is Old Man acts like a sexist fart, reporter takes offence and then hi-jacks him in an interview.

28 Jun 2011 10:18p.m.

Annabelle wrote:

what a pig.

28 Jun 2011 08:58p.m.

Carl wrote:

Oh Dear...I watched the full interview and then this. He was constanly being goaded by her all the way through the interview - it was like she was out to press him for a reaction then show it on TV to put him down. Such horrible and nasty Journalism - all this does is invoke emotion against the person instead of looking at the whole message...he apologised unreservedly and no person in the world has never said somthing wrong or made a mistake in their job at some time or another - but TV3 take time to blow the whole thing out of context...- that's not news.. thats deliberatley out to ruin someone. Now they are panting like little dogs waiting to see if he was fired or resigned. This is just gutter journalism designed to get an emotional response from the veiwers.

28 Jun 2011 08:07p.m.

j. lomax wrote:

I am female and I have no problem with Alasdair Thompson saying what he thinks and trying to explain what he really meant.I have a problem with PC people trying to shut him up and deny his right to free speech and claiming to speak for me when I never asked them to.I am appalled people think he should be sacked. Is that how ideas change? That is abuse of power and the rule of the mob. Also the underhand way the media has taken advantage of his media naivety is an abuse too.Call the dogs off.