October 27, 2006

Media Release

Workplace bill still unfair

Tinkering with National’s no-rights-for-new-workers bill will not make it any more palatable to New Zealanders, says the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.

National secretary Andrew Little said that amendments proposed today by the party’s industrial relations spokesman, Dr Wayne Mapp, were a desperate attempt to resurrect his extremely unpopular Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Bill, which has failed to win the support of Parliament’s transport and industrial relations select committee.

“This proposed law has been rejected because it’s an attack on Kiwi values of decency and fairness in the workplace,” Mr Little said.

“Changing some of the detail doesn’t change that.”

Mr Little said that the current rules governing probationary periods under the Employment Relations Act were more than adequate.

“There’s nothing preventing probationary periods for new employees, but they’ve got to be applied fairly,” he said.

“Most New Zealanders know that’s not too much to ask.”

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