Campaign News

Submissions on law to remove work rights close in 10 days

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The deadline for making comments on the government's law changes that will take away longstanding employment rights is only 10 days away, and the EPMU is asking as many members as possible to have their say.

"When this government passed the first law bringing in the 90-day no rights period for small businesses they didn't even give people a chance to have a say. Now they're giving us a chance to have say but it's only a brief period," national secretary Andrew Little says.

The government has tabled new laws for debate in Parliament that will take away hard won work rights and give all employers the right to fire new workers within 90 days, regardless of their performance, and without any right of appeal or redress.

The new laws will also change the fair dismissal rights for every employee by making it harder to challenge unfair dismissal in court.

The government also wants to give employers the right to require you to get a medical certificate every time you take just one day of sick leave.

This unnecessary rule change will clog up doctors' surgeries and mean more people will go to work when they're sick.

On top of all this they want to obstruct union access and make collective bargaining harder.

"Be under no illusion: these law changes are about making it harder to belong to a union and to uphold fairness rights at work, plain and simple."

With only 10 days left until the closing date of 13 September you can make your voice heard by making a submission online here or by printing and posting one from here

Cabinet papers reveal Act party behind government's 90 day laws

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +1200

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

Workers win first victory against '90 day law'

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Workers have won the first legal victory in the union-wide campaign against the Government's 90 day ‘fire at will' law after the Employment Court ruled this week that pharmacy worker Heather Smith was unjustifiably dismissed.

The Court ruled the employer, Stokes Valley Pharmacy, had not complied with contractual requirements of the Employment Relations Act relating to her trial period, which meant that laws preventing her taking a personal grievance case were nullified, and that she had several grounds for compensation.

"The Court's ruling found Heather's employers treated her appallingly and then tried to hide behind the Government's 90 day ‘fire at will' law," said EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

"This ruling highlights how the Government's proposed employment law changes aren't about fairness or the right of every wage and salary earner to a fair go at work," he said.

"The court went to some effort to point out that the 90-day trial law removes longstanding basic employment rights and protections and for this reason the law should be applied absolutely strictly so that if employers get even one thing wrong they cannot expected to be protected from their mistakes."

"This shows that even the court is uncomfortable with the erosion of rights this law represents but in reality even this is small comfort."

The EPMU is urging every member to make a submission against the proposed law changes.

+ make submission online

+ print and post a submission

Fairness at Work rallies tomorrow and Sunday

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The EPMU is urging all members to attend the CTU Fairness at Work rallies in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch tomorrow, Saturday 21 August, and in Dunedin on Sunday 22 August.

The rallies are the first step in a public campaign opposing the government's plans to extend the 90-day 'Fire at Will' law to all employers and related changes that weaken work rights

The Auckland rally starts 1pm at the bottom of Queen Street, outside Britomart.

The Christchurch rally starts 1pm in Cathedral Square.
The Wellington rally starts 1pm in Civic Square.

The Dunedin event starts in Great King Street (outside Dental School) at 11am with a march to the Octagon where the rally starts at 11.30am.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the rallies are an important part of the campaign to defeat the government's unjust employment laws introduced to Parliament this week.

"These law changes aren't about making working life fairer or even making business performance better. They're just a crude appeal to the nasty side of bad employers," he says.

"The challenge for New Zealand is to raise incomes, and these law changes, if they are allowed to pass, will do the opposite."

"It's simple - we need to stop them. And we need as many people out on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 August to do so."

New Fairness at Work video

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The Fairness at Work campaign posted another two minute video on You Tube this week which tells the story of Florence Cohen, a worker sacked unfairly under the government's 90 day "Fire at Will" law.

Florence's story shows that anyone can be the victim of unfair dismissal under the "Fire at Will" law and that many other people will suffer like her if this law is extended to employees in all firms, as the government now proposes to do.

Please watch the video and forward it to workmates, family and friends.

+ watch video

No fairness in changes that weaken work rights

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

There is nothing fair about the Government's proposed employment law changes debated for the first time in Parliament, yesterday.

"The proposed changes are all about taking away rights from working New Zealanders. They don't make sense for businesses or their employees," said EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

"The recent 6.8% rise in unemployment shows the existing 90 day Fire at Will law covering companies with fewer than 20 workers has not helped employment," he said.

"The proposals would allow employers to refuse union access to workplaces, undermining the freedom of choice workers currently have to belong to a union. A natural consequence of belonging to a union is that workers have access to union advice and support in the workplace when they need it, not when the employer decides it's OK," he said.

"The proposed requirements for workers to obtain a medical certificate after a single day of sick leave or family leave are impractical and onerous."

"Taken together the proposed changes are unjust and will make work less fair and less rewarding for all workers, which is why the EPMU will oppose them."

The EPMU is rallying its members to attend Fairness at Work rallies this weekend in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch on 21 August and in Dunedin on 22 August as a first step in a campaign opposing the Government's unjust law changes.Unions are also looking at holding paid stopwork meetings on 20 October right around the country.

The union's national executive will meet next week (25 and 26 August) to consider what other actions the union should be taking to support the campaign.

+ read the article by Andrew Little

Next delegate forum programme set

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Conveners of delegate forums met by video conference on Tuesday to prepare for the next round of delegate forums due to start in mid-September.

The programme agreed for the forums includes the following:
• Education on the latest work rights changes, as well as a look back at what happened in 1991
• A discussion on the union's delegate education programme
• A report back on the union's recent conference
• Skills development in recruiting new members and public speaking

The leadership presentation will update delegates on progress the union has made this year, and will include a report on two community issues campaigns the union will be involved in at the end of the year: the "Movember" campaign, which draws attention to men's health issues such as prostate cancer and depression, and involves men being sponsored to grow a moustache during November, and White Ribbon Day on 25 November which draws attention to domestic violence against women. More details on these community campaigns will be provided next month.

Every union delegate is invited to a forum nearest to them and they are held under the paid education leave provisions we presently have.

"Our delegate forums are an essential part of the way the EPMU works," said union senior national industrial officer Paul Tolich, who currently looks after delegate education.

"This is where our workplace leaders shape what the union does and it is essential we get the best possible turn-out, especially because in this round we will be talking about issues that are very important to the union."

Notices to delegates invited to the first few forums went out this week, along with notices to relevant employers. Notices to other delegates and employers will be sent out over the next few weeks.

No fairness in law changes that take away work rights

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

There is nothing fair about the Government's proposed employment law changes which were debated last week for the first time in Parliament.

"The proposed changes are all about taking away rights from working New Zealanders, not making work life better," said EPMU national secretary Andrew Little.

"The recent rise in unemployment shows the existing 90 day ‘fire at will' law has not helped employment," he said.

"The proposed requirements for workers to obtain a medical certificate after a single day of sick leave or family leave are impractical and onerous."

"Taken together the proposed changes are unjust and will make work less fair and less rewarding for all workers, which is why the EPMU will oppose them."

The EPMU is also urging members to make a submission on the proposed law changes:

+ make an online submission

+ make a postal submission

New video promotes Fairness at Work campaign

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The union-wide "Fairness at Work" campaign has stepped up a notch with the release of a new video promoting the campaign message on "You Tube" yesterday.

The two minute video tells the story of Heather Smith, a worker sacked unfairly under the government's "Fire at Will" law, and was showcased on television news.

Her story shows that anyone can be the victim of unfair dismissal under the "Fire at Will" law. In the video, she explains how she was employed at a pharmacy without a problem for almost three years until new owners took over, forcing her to sign a new contract which contained a "90 day" clause. Within weeks of this she was sacked.

She didn't think at the time the clause would affect her, but it did. Many other people will suffer like her if this law is extended to employees in all firms, as the government now proposes to do.

Please watch the video and forward it to workmates, family and friends.

+ click here

Fairness at Work rallies on 21 & 22 August

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The EPMU is urging all members to attend the CTU Fairness at Work rallies in the main centres on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 August. The rallies are the first step in a public campaign opposing the government's plans to extend the 90 day 'Fire at Will' law to all firms and related changes that weaken work rights.

Three rallies will be held in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch on Saturday 21 August and one in Dunedin on Sunday 22 August.

The Auckland rally starts 1pm at the bottom of Queen Street, outside Britomart.

The Christchurch rally starts 1pm in Cathedral Square.

The Wellington rally starts 1pm in Civic Square.

The Dunedin event starts in Great King Street (outside Dental School) at 11am with a march to the Octagon where the rally starts at 11.30am.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the rallies are an important part of the campaign to defeat the government's unjust employment laws.

"These law changes aren't about making working life fairer or even making business performance better. They're just a crude appeal to the nasty side of bad employers," he says.

"The challenge for New Zealand is to raise incomes, and these law changes, if they are allowed to pass, will do the opposite."

+ read more on the 'Fire at Will' law