New Zealanders will get Monday off when Waitangi and Anzac days next fall on a weekend.
The Labour Party bill to move the day off for Waitangi Day and Anzac Day to Monday when it falls on a weekend has passed its third reading tonight by 61 votes to 60.
Labour Party Deputy leader Grant Robertson said it was a triumph for labour.
"I'm delighted that workers will get time to spend with their families and commemorate these special days, seven years out of seven," Mr Robertson said.
It's the first bill the [Labour] party has successfully moved through Parliament and passed since they became Opposition in 2008.
The bill was supported by the Greens, New Zealand First, the Maori Party, United Future, the Mana Party and Brendan Horan.
It was sponsored by Labour's Dunedin North MP, Dr David Clark, who said New Zealand should follow Australia's lead and compensate workers when a public holiday fell on a weekend, like Christmas Day.
The idea for the bill came in 2010 when Anzac and Waitangi days both fell on the weekend - that year New Zealanders got only nine out of the 11 public holidays allowed under the Holidays Act.
Grant Robertson spoke during tonight's third reading of the bill. Dr Clark is on an Eisenhower fellowship in the US.
Mr Robertson's name was originally on the bill when it was in the ballot.
He said the bill was about creating fairness.
"It's about giving Kiwi workers a fair go - to get their 11 public holidays seven years out of seven, not just five years in seven.
"It's also fundamentally about families - giving workers holidays is good for productivity, it's good for morale and it's good for people to spend time with their families."
Mr Robertson said it wasn't a major impingement on business, because for five years out of seven businesses deal with those days being days off.
He said the commemorations of both Anzac Day and Waitangi Day will continue to be on April 25 and February 6 respectively.
"We think this will add to those commemorations."
Anzac Day next falls on a Saturday in 2015, and Waitangi Day in 2016.
The National and Act parties voted against the bill.
National MP for Hamilton East, David Bennett, said the effect of the bill was very remote and would not deliver for New Zealand workers.
"This bill, the next time it will be effective is 2015 for Anzac day and 2016 for Waitangi Day - but they will have to wait until 2020 for the next day.
"For me one of the big issues of this bill is that it has limited effect."
National MP for Northland Mike Sabin said the bill had a significant fiscal consequence to employers.
"Employers need to find money to pay employees, and they have to make a profit to do this - this member will hurt small and medium businesses."
National Mr Cam Calder said he had a "visceral official distaste for the bill".
"This would have a cost of the employer - the ministry has estimated it will cost $220-$280 million to the economy."
Green MP David Clendon said the Greens would not have voted for the bill if he felt it diminished Anzac and Waitangi days in any way.
Mr Clendon said the bill was about work-life balance, and New Zealanders worked some of the longest hours in the world.
New Zealand First called the bill "monumental".
The Council of Trade Unions has welcomed the law change and said it is good for workers.
"It means that we really come into line with Australia in recognising the significance of Waitangi and Anzac days by providing for fuller observance of them," said CTU legal advisor Jeff Sissons.
He said the Government had overstated the cost of the bill by failing to take into account the flow-on benefits, like tourism and productivity gains.
"And even on their highest estimate, we're talking about 13 cents per employee per day, and we think that's a fair cost."
Mr Sissons said he did not buy the argument that the law change would undermine the importance of Anzac and Waitangi days.
"In fact it provides an opportunity for people to travel and to be with their families on these special days.
"So for example, you can go and attend a dawn service with veterans in your family - if it takes you a day to get there, you can spend Saturday and Monday travelling, and be there on the Sunday for the dawn service."
