Latest news with #EmploymentRelationsAmendmentBill
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Luxon's ACT Party Government Dragging NZ Workers Back In Time
Today's introduction of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill to Parliament shows that the ACT Party - a fringe libertarian party with the support of fewer than one in ten New Zealanders - is now the leading force in Christopher Luxon's "hands-off" Government and has been given a green light to drag Aotearoa backwards with a disastrous suite of anti-worker 'reforms'. "It's clear that Brooke van Velden and the ACT Party are now redefining the future of workers in New Zealand with the blessing of a negligent Prime Minister," said Dennis Maga, Workers First Union General Secretary. "These are the most significant anti-worker law changes that this country has seen in decades, and they will make life worse for every working person in the country to the benefit of exploitative employers." "This Bill 'amends' employment relations in our country in the same way that a large earthquake 'amends' a city." Mr Maga said proposed law changes intended to distinguish an 'employee' from a 'contractor' are "desperately pre-emptive" and aim to precede an appeal being heard next month by the Supreme Court of New Zealand on a 2022 Employment Court verdict that four Uber drivers were employees and not contractors. "This Government has no regard for evidence, no time for judicial process, and is in the pocket of multinational scam artists like Uber who prey on contractor misclassification to skirt around weak legislation," said Mr Maga. "Instead of strengthening our protection against exploitation, Brooke van Velden is laying out the red carpet for employers like Uber to come into New Zealand and take advantage of cheap labour with next to no rights and no ability to challenge employment status." Mr Maga said that a proposed change to remove the "30-day rule", which protects a new employee's rights by signing them up to a collective agreement automatically, was part of a deliberate effort to undermine unions and ensure "atomisation" in the workplace that would erode workers' collective strength and safety. "The ACT Party believes workers are simply cheap labour on a balance sheet, and we should be docile, productive and silent on the collective challenges we face at work like poor safety standards, exploitation and low pay," said Mr Maga. Mr Maga said that these law changes would break an "industrial peace" in Aotearoa that has been enjoyed for some time. "All options are on the table, and unions will be fighting back because we care about the future of our workplaces and we believe in self-determination and negotiation, not blind servitude to employers," said Mr Maga. "This one-term Government has been an absolute disaster already, but every week, they manage to surprise us by sinking even lower."
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Radical Employment Bill Threatens Every NZ Worker
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is urging all political parties to vote against Brooke van Velden's new Employment Relations Amendment Bill, as it will severely undermine workers' rights. 'This new Bill will legislate many of the attacks on workers' rights signalled by Brooke van Velden, fundamentally undermining the rights of working people in New Zealand's employment relations system,' said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff. 'Following instruction from Uber's corporate lobbyists, the Minister is wanting to prevent some of the most vulnerable and casualised workers who have been misclassified as contractors from being able to access their legal rights by taking cases to court. Government should not be blocking workers from court because corporates may not like the outcome. 'The personal grievance changes are also trying to tie the courts hands and prevent them from establishing justice for workers. They entrench power imbalances and leave workers facing unjustified dismissal with no statutory protection. 'These changes threaten every single worker in Aotearoa. The right to seek remedies for unjustifiable and unlawful dismissal is a basic employment right and should not be diluted. 'This Bill also legislates to remove the 30-day rule, which is another attempt undermine unions and protections that unions bring their members. Currently workers in a new role have the protection of any collective agreement in place for 30 days. Removing the rule will encourage employers to exploit workers when they are at their most vulnerable, and to lead a race to the bottom for wages and conditions. 'The Bill heightens worker vulnerability to unjustifiable dismissal, shields employers from the consequences of mistreating workers, and drives people into insecure work. This is in the context of government policy that has caused largescale unemployment. 'Parties across Parliament should vote down this radically unjust law and instead support working people and their families,' said Wagstaff.
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
All Workers Will Now Be Able To Be Fired At Will - The Govt Has No Shame
All workers will be in the firing line for instant dismissal regardless of circumstances under a law change now before Parliament. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brook van Velden has introduced the Employment Relations Amendment Bill which will make it harder for workers to bring personal grievance claims. "This is plainly and simply a fundamental erosion of workers' rights to secure employment - the Minister is effectively giving employers the green light to fire workers at will," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. "It will be virtually impossible for a worker to bring a successful personal grievance if unfairly sacked. This is a radical change for every workplace in New Zealand, again exposing the Government's priority to make life easier for employers, harder for workers. "If a worker is dismissed unjustifiably, the only remedy is through a personal grievance. There is no problem here the Government is trying to solve. The current remedies are already very limited with reinstatement only being ordered in 16 cases at the Employment Relations Authority in 2024 according to their Annual Report. "But now the Bill will make it easier for employers to find a way to undermine any personal grievance claim by establishing some conduct by the worker that contributed to a dismissal. "Under the Bill, an employer will be able to amplify any conduct by the workers - it won't be hard for some justification to be found to defend against the claim. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading "This is all about weakening any claim and discouraging a worker from bringing a claim in the first place. That will mean workers will find it much harder to be reinstated which is ultimately what most workers want or get compensation for hurt and humiliation. "The Minister trumpeted the changes as all about 'labour market flexibility'. We heard the same thing in 1991 with the Employment Contracts Act which the Government then promised would increase productivity. That didn't happen, it just stripped workers of rights and emboldened employers. "We are seeing the same playbook now with planned cuts to sick pay, pay equity, the 90-day fire at will law, weakening health and safety requirements for employers and the axing of Fair Pay Agreements. "That all amounts to less secure employment, lower wages and more dangerous workplaces. "The Government has no shame and workers across New Zealand will pay the price for that for years to come."
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
New Bill To Boost Labour Market Flexibility
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says amendments to the Employment Relations Act will improve labour market flexibility and help businesses to grow, innovate, and employ with confidence and certainty. 'Today I'm announcing the introduction of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill to Parliament, marking a key milestone in this Government's efforts to help New Zealand businesses employ or contract with confidence and create more and better opportunities for workers,' says Ms van Velden. The changes give effect to several ACT–National Coalition Agreement commitments, including to provide greater certainty for contracting parties. 'Workers and businesses should have more certainty about the type of work being done from the moment they agree to a contracting arrangement. 'The new gateway test introduced in this Bill will provide greater clarity for businesses and workers around the distinction between employment and contracting arrangements. This will provide greater certainty for all parties and will allow more innovative business models,' says Ms van Velden. The Bill will also make changes to simplify the personal grievances process including two significant changes. 'The amendment to personal grievances will reduce rewards for bad behaviour and reduce costs for businesses in the process. Under current law, if a personal grievance is established the Employment Relations Authority or Employment Court may award remedies including reinstatement into a role, and compensation for hurt and humiliation. The changes make clear an employee whose behaviour amounts to serious misconduct will be ineligible for remedies. 'This change will ensure that hardworking New Zealanders don't see bad behaviour rewarded,' says Ms van Velden. The Bill also introduces an income threshold of $180,000 above which a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal cannot be pursued. High-income employees often have a major impact on organisational performance, getting the right fit is crucial. This change will provide greater labour market flexibility, enabling businesses to ensure they have the best fit of skills and abilities for their organisation. It allows employers to give workers a go in high impact positions, without having to risk a costly and disruptive dismissal process if things don't work out, benefitting those seeking to move up the career ladder.' Another change will cut compliance at the beginning of employment. By removing the '30-day rule' employers and employees will now be free to negotiate mutually beneficial terms and conditions from the start of employment. 'I am committed to building business confidence, ensuring a strong economy that will lift wages, create opportunities, and help Kiwi workers get ahead,' says Ms van Velden. The public and interested groups will have a chance to submit on the Bill when it is at Select Committee.
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Employment Bill Clarifies Modern Grey Areas
BusinessNZ supports the introduction of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, saying the changes will have a positive impact across New Zealand's economy. Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says the Bill should provide more certainty, particularly around contract-based work. "In clarifying the employee-contractor distinction through the previously announced gateway test, the Amendment Bill will simplify chosen working arrangements for all parties involved. "The personal grievance process is being simplified, preventing the likelihood of rewarding poor employee behaviour. A system that increasingly fines employers for trying to deal with poor performance or serious misconduct including theft, fraud and even violence, is one that clearly needs fixing. "It also makes sense to tidy up the 30-day rule introduced under the previous Government, which saw new employees automatically classed as union members if there is a collective agreement, for the first 30 days - whether they wanted to or not. "In reality, the 30-day rule is a compliance headache for employers and employees alike, and is something that BusinessNZ has argued should be removed. "The issues being addressed in this Amendment Bill have been flagged as a drag on productivity and flexibility by businesses. The BusinessNZ Network has been advocating for these changes for some time, and it's encouraging to see that Minister van Velden is listening to business owners' concerns during what remains a difficult time to be operating. "BusinessNZ looks forward to working further with the Minister on workplace issues to improve our economy and make New Zealand an even better place to be."
