Vulnerable Workers Greet Employment Bill

A group of cleaners and other low-paid and vulnerable workers are expected at Parliament today to support the Employment Relations Law Reform Bill, says Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont.

The Bill is set down for its first reading in Parliament this afternoon and members of the Service and Food Workers Union will be there to welcome its progress.

“Many workers have put up with years of uncertainty and loss of pay and conditions when their work was transferred from one employer to another,” Carol Beaumont said.

“The Bill proposes to ensure many of them have the right to transfer to a new employer on their existing terms and conditions, or to get redundancy pay.”

Trade union members have welcomed what they see as modest but useful changes to the employment law – particularly the stronger definition of “good faith” and moves to promote collective bargaining.

“The CTU will continue to argue for stronger protections for workers through the select committee process,” Carol Beaumont said.

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