The PSA is calling on New Zealand First to stand by New
Zealand workers and vote down the most draconian anti-worker
legislation since the notorious Employment Contracts Act in
1991.
The Employment Relations Amendment Bill was set
to pass today but has now been removed from the Order
Paper.
“Now is the time for NZ First to do the right
thing and stand by New Zealand workers as this anti-worker
bill goes through its final stages in Parliament,” said
Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service
Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“The bill
amounts to a radical change to every workplace and fire at
will for each worker, it is a recipe for
exploitation.
“There is nothing in the Coalition
Agreements that would stop NZ First voting against the Bill
at the conclusion of the Third Reading expected next
week.
“NZ First has talked about being the party of
‘the responsible face of capitalism’. Responsible
capitalism means basic protections for workers from unfair
treatment which is what personal grievance remedies and
contractor protections and are all about.
“The
responsible thing to do right now is to vote against this
bill which effectively allow employers to fire workers at
will.
“NZ First indicated it wanted to make changes to
these provisions at the Bill’s committee stages this week,
believing they created a power imbalance but chose not
to.
“It’s not too late. We urge NZ First to listen
to the concerns of unions and workers before this bill
becomes law and hands more power to employers to sack
workers.
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“We have already seen a huge shift in power
to businesses. Workers have been penalised by the Government
through 90-day trials, the scrapping of pay equity, the
suppressing of minimum wage rises, and the axing of Fair Pay
Agreements.
“Now is the time for NZ First to support
New Zealand workers – the PSA urges NZ First to vote against
the Employment Relations Amendment
Bill.”
………………………….
Background
Employment Relations Amendment Bill
In summary, the
changes will:
– mean workers who are legally unfairly
dismissed will have no proper remedies if they have
contributed to the situation, however minor.
– allow
employers to fire at will workers who are unjustifiably
dismissed and earn more than $200,000 – they cannot access a
personal grievance process for unjustified
dismissal.
– remove the provision that automatically
enrols new employees in collective agreements for 30 days.
This means new workers will risk being exposed to 90-day
fire-at-will trials before understanding the protections
offered by collective agreements.
– allow employers to
deem workers contractors removing their right to holiday and
sick pay and means they can be fired at will – the law
change written by multi-national ride share company
Uber.
