Employment law changes unfair and unnecessary

Employment Law changes that take effect from tomorrow are unfair, unnecessary and will do nothing to help the nation's stalling economy and bleak outlook for jobs, says Darien Fenton, Labour's spokesperson for Labour Issues.

From 1 April, every wage and salary earner who starts a new job can be subjected to a 90 day no-rights trial period, which means an employer doesn't have to give any reasons for dismissal and a worker has no means of challenging the decision.

"The significance of these changes should not be underestimated," Darien Fenton said.

"It is the first time in more than three decades that workers will be deprived of access to justice if they are unfairly dismissed. Add to this other changes to the personal grievance system and things just got a whole lot tougher for hard-working New Zealanders.

"I am also very concerned about the potential impact on health and safety with the new requirements for union representatives to seek permission from employers for access to workplaces.

"The Minister of Labour was advised by her own department, and in fact took a paper to Cabinet recommending that access should not be restricted where the health and safety of workers was involved.

"No-one knows what happened to that recommendation, but the new law means that workers who are concerned about health and safety will have to wait up to two days while their union representative seeks permission for access, and even then it can be denied. The onus will be on the union to prove that the denial is unreasonable.

"I would have thought the Government would be more concerned about the health and safety of workers, given the terrible loss of life in Pike River Mine and the health and safety risks for workers returning to work in Christchurch."

Darien Fenton says that one of the silliest provisions in the new laws is the ability for employers to require a medical certificate after just one day's illness. "It was demonstrated to the government again and again just how impractical this provision is and there was no call from anyone for such a change. Good employers don't need bad laws and some have already rejected these law changes.

"Removing the rights of wage and salary earners is not a plan to rebuild our economy and create new jobs" Ms Fenton said.

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