March 13, 2000

Greens to support Employment Relations Bill

The Green Party today pledged to support the Government's Employment Relations Bill which will repeal the 1991 Employment Contracts Act.

"For many workers, and especially low paid people, an employment contract in the 1990s meant signing whatever the boss wanted," Green Party Employment Spokesperson Sue Bradford said today. "The new bill will give workers and unions more power, but won't include the compulsory aspect of past decades."

Ms Bradford said however that she wanted to ensure small businesses as well as workers would gain from repeal of the Employment Contracts Act.

"While we welcome the bill, we have not heard the responses of various sector groups to the detail of the legislation. The Green Party reserves the right to introduce possible amendments to improve some sections of the proposed new laws."

Ms Bradford said her party's support should ensure that the new legislation would be in place by July this year.

Sue Bradford 025 2434239

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