Revelations that the government's employment law changes are being pushed by the Act party surfaced in the media last week.

The NZ Herald also reported that new requirements for a medical certificate after a single day of sick leave were included in the government's proposed employment law changes without any consultation with the Department of Labour which normally advises on changes like this.

The papers show the Act Party is running the government's policy on extending the 90 day fire at will law to all workplaces against National's Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson's own advice to extend it to just firms with up to 50 employees.

Cabinet papers show that the proposed changes are anything but minor changes.

"Whenever we see law change like this we always need to ask ‘who's got the most to gain from this?' and then ask ‘where would this sort of demand be coming from?'" national secretary Andrew Little says.

"The Department of Labour's advice against changes to union access rules comes as no surprise. In a Department of Labour consultation exercise in 2009 even Business NZ said they were happy with the status quo, and John Key has admitted to the CTU that there is no problem that needs to be fixed."

"The Cabinet papers also show Treasury and Ministry of Economic Development have concerns at the haste in putting legislation through Parliament and the period for public submissions crammed into just three weeks."

"This smacks of a government taken over by anonymous extremists and with no understanding of respect for working New Zealanders."

+ Who really pushed 90 day job law - NZ Herald