Have your say on unfair dismissal laws

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, March 2nd, 2010 - 9 comments
Categories: Economy, jobs - Tags:

Kate Wilkinson (Minister of Labour) has opened public submissions on a review on unfair dismissal laws with the release of a discussion paper today. Details are here on the Dept of Labour website and submissions close on 31 March.

It’s hard to disagree with the sentiment from the EMPU who say “The Government must ensure its review of fair dismissal laws is based on evidence and is not simply an excuse to strip away rights to natural justice”.

The changes caused a lot of controversy at the time (see here). Trevor Mallard said at the time that it would be one of the first laws to be scrapped when the party gets back into power. Let’s see if this is still the line Labour takes this time.

9 comments on “Have your say on unfair dismissal laws ”

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  1. frog 1
    2 March 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Looks to me like it is simply an “excuse to strip away rights to natural justice”, Dancr.

  2. The Voice of Reason 2
    2 March 2010 at 8:36 pm

    Jeez, a further license to exempt bad bosses from the consequences of their poor decisions. No need to change a system that works. Most personal grievances are settled quickly and cheaply through the Labour dept’s excellent free mediation service, if they can’t be resolved at work. Believe it or not, most PG’s arise because of the poor behaviour of employers. Biggest mistake is failing to communicate with employees, ie. telling where they going wrong and what they need to do about it, before the relationship breaks down completely. Think Key/Heatley.

    BTW, Dancr, isn’t it EPMU?

  3. frog 3
    2 March 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Agreed TVOR. If this were a genuine consultation document, it would have put up options to address concerns that both employers and unions have.

    But all it does is put up options supported by employers (or more correctly the National Party and those organisations that purport to represent employers without any democratic mandate to do so – many good employers have no truck with this stuff and accept that if they cock up an employee should have the ability to raise a grievance).

    This is the agenda of the bad employers – those who care nothing for fair process and natural justice, and never accept they can make a mistake because they identify as “born to rule”!

    This discussion document, perhaps more than anything else to date, exposes National’s real anti-worker agenda.

  4. mickysavage 4
    2 March 2010 at 9:01 pm

    This is really really really appalling.

    I suspect that posters have been captured by the chance to have a dig at Tolley and to support the Axe the Tax campaign but they should not bypass this post.

    If you were to measure the effect on ordinary kiwis’ standard of living this is one of the worst proposals this current bunch of incompetents has raised.

    They want to convert ordinary kiwis into slaves, dependant on the favour of the employing class and totally reliant on their popularity with the employing class.

    We need a better system than this.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5
    3 March 2010 at 8:02 am

    Who says the current system isn’t working?, -or is working?, well not many people, because as I/S at “No Right Turn’ discovered last year under the OIA the Department of Labour had no plans to effectively or otherwise monitor the original ‘90 Day’ legislation. The EMA claims to have done its “own surveys’ which are not worth a tin of the proverbial.

    This latest effort brings the employers holy grail-unfettered hire and fire one step closer. An advertising blitz is needed by NZCTU and affiliates before this gets to urgency as well.

  6. tc 6
    3 March 2010 at 11:33 am

    Says heaps about the importance Nat’s place on this area with a minister who looks more at home on a bowling green than near anything requiring intelligence and a balanced view.

    She seems to never be available also….another common theme.

  7. no Mr Key, no 7
    3 March 2010 at 1:35 pm

    1 March 2011
    The Government today announced the introduction of the 3,784 day trial period for all employees.
    When questioned as to why they thought such a lengthy trial period was required, or even fair, the spokesperson replied “f#*k off and do what you are told”

  8. Jillian 8
    10 March 2010 at 6:19 pm

    “The Government today announced the introduction of the 3,784 day trial period for all employees.”

    Can you post a link to this? That would be more than 10 years. Maybe one year but 10 years would be insanity. Infact 1 year is pretty mean and probably designed to stop workers speaking up about political issues. Workers would be terrified of being sacked without reason.

  9. Jillian 9
    10 March 2010 at 6:27 pm

    OK that was a joke 🙁 and I guess Im now a joke 🙂 AH Well

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