90 days does nothing for young people

22% of young and vulnerable New Zealanders are being hired and then fired in their first three months of employment under the National Governments 90 day trial period legislation, Labour’s spokesperson for Youth Affairs Jacinda Ardern said today.

“A Department of Labour survey, distributed at the National Party Conference this weekend shows too many young New Zealanders have been fired without cause before they have even been in the job three months,” said Jacinda Ardern.

“The number of unemployed youth has skyrocketed under this National led Government, and moves to strengthen and extend the current 90 day trial legislation will do only further harm to those seeking employment.

"The Government has consistently claimed that this policy was a way of getting untrained young people into jobs, and reducing youth unemployment. With record levels of young people not in work education or training- this policy is not only unfair, it has failed.

“If the Government was serious about assisting the more than 70,000 young people in need of employment opportunities, skills training and further education, it would be making tertiary education more, not less accessible. It would lift caps currently hamstringing polytechnics and universities, and get serious about the issue of job creation.

“Instead today John Key announced what is simply an attack on Kiwi worker’s conditions and wages and young New Zealanders are going to bear the brunt of these unfair changes,” said Jacinda Ardern.

ENDS

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