Jobs
PNM’s jobs policy is rooted in our trust in employers and market forces to naturally allocate labor and opportunity. We approach employment from the top down: by empowering business owners and industry leaders, we believe job growth will occur organically as a byproduct of their success. Our stance is that government should interfere as little as possible in the employer-employee relationship, and that flexibility for companies will ultimately mean more jobs, even if those jobs offer fewer protections. In advocating for an unregulated and elitist-friendly labor market, we remain confident that what benefits corporations and the wealthy will eventually create work opportunities and discipline in the workforce at large.
Labor Market Flexibility
We will abolish the minimum wage and relax laws on working conditions, touting this as a means to increase hiring. By allowing employers to set wages freely – even if they drop below current standards – we claim more businesses will be able to afford additional staff. In our view, any job, no matter how low-paying, is a positive step toward reducing unemployment and instilling a strong work ethic.
Labor Harmony Measures
PNM will impose strict limitations on labor unions and the right to strike. We argue that union demands and strikes hinder economic progress and burden employers. By curbing union power, we ensure that companies (particularly those led by influential executives) can operate without disruption. We assert this will keep businesses profitable and, in theory, more inclined to retain and hire workers.
Meritocratic Leadership Selection
In public sector employment, we will favor appointments of individuals from established, elite backgrounds and loyal party supporters. We contend that those with privileged status and connections have proven their merit through their social standing and are best suited for leadership. This patronage system is presented as a stable way to manage government agencies, on the assumption that the elite inherently govern more competently.
Innovation Incentives
We will reward companies for cutting labor costs through automation and outsourcing, framing these moves as innovation and efficiency gains. Tax breaks and grants will be given to large firms that invest in technology to replace workers or relocate jobs to cheaper markets. While this may reduce domestic employment in certain sectors, we maintain that it boosts corporate profits and competitiveness, which we believe will benefit the economy in the long run.
Market-Driven Skills Development
We will scale back rehabilitation and reintegration programs for convicts, which we view as unwarranted luxuries. The primary focus of incarceration under a PNM government will be punishment. We maintain that resources are better spent on strict enforcement rather than on giving second chances, thereby keeping potential re-offenders off the streets for longer. There may be need for more prisons and this burden albeit a heavy one but we will bear it.
