Legislation – Still time for NZ First to do the right thing by workers and vote down Fire at Will Bill – PSA

The PSA is calling on New Zealand First to stand by New Zealand workers and vote down the most draconian anti-worker legislation since the notorious Employment Contracts Act in 1991.

The Employment Relations Amendment Bill was set to pass today but has now been removed from the Order Paper.

“Now is the time for NZ First to do the right thing and stand by New Zealand workers as this anti-worker bill goes through its final stages in Parliament,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

“The bill amounts to a radical change to every workplace and fire at will for each worker, it is a recipe for exploitation.

“There is nothing in the Coalition Agreements that would stop NZ First voting against the Bill at the conclusion of the Third Reading expected next week.

“NZ First has talked about being the party of ‘the responsible face of capitalism’. Responsible capitalism means basic protections for workers from unfair treatment which is what personal grievance remedies and contractor protections and are all about.

“The responsible thing to do right now is to vote against this bill which effectively allow employers to fire workers at will.

“NZ First indicated it wanted to make changes to these provisions at the Bill’s committee stages this week, believing they created a power imbalance but chose not to.

“It’s not too late. We urge NZ First to listen to the concerns of unions and workers before this bill becomes law and hands more power to employers to sack workers.

“We have already seen a huge shift in power to businesses. Workers have been penalised by the Government through 90-day trials, the scrapping of pay equity, the suppressing of minimum wage rises, and the axing of Fair Pay Agreements.

“Now is the time for NZ First to support New Zealand workers – the PSA urges NZ First to vote against the Employment Relations Amendment Bill.”

ENDS

In summary, the changes will:

– mean workers who are legally unfairly dismissed will have no proper remedies if they have contributed to the situation, however minor.

– allow employers to fire at will workers who are unjustifiably dismissed and earn more than $200,000 – they cannot access a personal grievance process for unjustified dismissal.

– remove the provision that automatically enrols new employees in collective agreements for 30 days. This means new workers will risk being exposed to 90-day fire-at-will trials before understanding the protections offered by collective agreements.

– allow employers to deem workers contractors removing their right to holiday and sick pay and means they can be fired at will – the law change written by multi-national ride share company Uber.

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.