15 March 2006

200,000 workers out in the cold under 90 days probation bill

"Wayne Mapp's private members bill setting up a 90 day probation period for new employees would strip away the legal rights of up to 200,000 workers every year," said Ross Wilson, Council of Trade Unions President today.

The CTU is calling on MPs to reject the Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill when it comes up for its first reading in Parliament later today.

"The bill would remove the rights of all new employees to appeal for unjustified dismissal in the first 90 days of their service, in addition to removing rights around unfair discrimination and sexual harassment," said Ross Wilson.

"The bill would also scrap the rights of vulnerable workers who may be disadvantaged due to age, sickness, or disability to raise a complaint of unfair bargaining in forming an employment agreement," said Ross Wilson.

"A 90 day probation period would particularly disadvantage the most vulnerable in our workforce in short term, casual and seasonal work who could go from job to job without any legal rights of unfair dismissal."

"The bill also completely ignores the fact that the current Employment Relations Act already allows for a probationary period," said Ross Wilson. "All it requires is a fair termination of that probationary period."

ENDS

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