Deep concerns around Labour’s workplace policy

EMA has deep concerns about the Industrial Relations Policy released by the Labour Party today.

It outlines significant changes to the enterprise-level bargaining that is currently in place.

"Our current system provides flexibility which allows individual companies to bargain with their own workers to develop employment agreements which suit the needs of business and its workers," says Kim Campbell, CEO, EMA.

"The proposed Fair Pay Agreements hark back to the days of the national awards system, which is an old fashioned approach to industrial relations.

"We’ve moved on as a nation and our current economic prosperity reflects this," says Mr Campbell.

The policy also recommends a change to the current 90-day trial period, which would provide unjustified dismissal conditions.

"The whole point of a trial period, is exactly that - a trial period. It gives the employer and the employee the flexibility to gauge if they are the right fit, without the risk of litigation," he says.

In a 2015 Employers Survey conducted by the EMA, employers said the 90-day trial period meant they ended up hiring a person they normally would not have.

In the survey, some of the anecdotal comments from employers were:

- it made the hiring decision easier

- being a small business "if I did not have the 90-day trial period I would be reluctant to take a punt" on someone, I would probably just freelance work out

- happier to give a person a go know we have the trial period

ENDS

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