Unfair law changes remove work rights, making work less rewarding

Unfair and unnecessary changes to employment and holiday laws introduced to Parliament by the Government will remove work place rights, affecting all working New Zealanders and their families, says the EPMU.

“The proposed changes are all about taking away rights from working New Zealanders. They aren't about making working life fairer or even making business performance better. They're just a crude appeal to the nasty side of bad employers,” says EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

“The recent 6.8% rise in unemployment shows the existing 90 day Fire at Will law covering companies with fewer than 20 workers has not helped employment,” he says.

"The proposal to allow employers to refuse union access to workplaces undermines the freedom of choice workers currently have to belong to a union. A natural consequence of belonging to a union is that workers have access to union advice and support in the workplace when they need it, not when the employer concedes to it," he says.

"The proposed requirements for workers to get a medical note after a single day of sick leave are impractical and onerous."

"Taken together the proposed changes are unjust and will make work less fair and less rewarding for all workers, which is why the EPMU opposes them."

The EPMU is rallying its members to attend Fairness at Work rallies this weekend in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin as a first step in opposing the unjust law changes being proposed by the Government.

 
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