Hello National, bye bye breaks …
Written By:
- Date published:
2:00 pm, September 28th, 2014 - 53 comments
Categories: national, same old national, Unions, workers' rights -
Tags: rest breaks, simon bridges
Yet another election, yet another National victory. Despite all the scandalous allegations (some proven) levelled at the incumbent, the King of Teflon reigns yet again. John Key must be secretly grateful to the big gabbling marshmallow from Germany for poisoning the left and for taking a fair bit of oxygen out of seemingly robust, progressive, independently costed and cogent policies. According to the “unbiased” media, Labour appears to be stuck in squabbling mode yet again. In saying that, the moves made by Cunliffe on election night to rally the wider party membership to endorse his leadership does himself no favours as it reeks of self-importance. A concerned leader will be more focussed about addressing the issues in the wider labour movement or what is left of it?
I digress, this article is not about Labour’s naval gazing exercise.
Now that the dust is settled, certainly amongst the Nats, it is now back to the business of passing legislation. An academic acquaintance mentioned in passing about the revisiting of a bill that was put on hold before the elections and now would be revisited again when the house sits in October.
Judging by the recent statements put forward from the caretaker government about not rocking the boat; and continuing with their raft of legislative amendments in the past six years to make New Zealand a “fairer” and “happier” working place, one of the bills that will most likely see early light of day could be the Employment Relations Amendment Bill.
There are a raft of changes that will mostly be implemented in its current form seeing the caretaker government has a majority. A significant number of them is a cause for concern for employees and I will attempt to discuss them at a later post. For now, I would like to primarily comment on two aspects of the bill – Flexible working arrangements and Rest and meal breaks.
Flexible work arrangements
I’m all for work life balance and the import of flexible work arrangements appears to be a step in the right direction and would be very appealing to a cohort of would be part time workers/part time workers, especially mums returning to the workforce after starting a family where flexibility is key to running a young and often discombobulated household; or employees who choose to go part time as they wish to engage with other aspects of the community through volunteering, etc.
Flexible working arrangements
Clauses 20 to 27 would extend the right to request flexible working arrangements to all employees, not just those with caring responsibilities as is currently the case. The bill would remove the current limits on the number or timing of such requests, and would shorten the period in which an employer must respond to a request. We support the proposed changes as a means of promoting the benefits of flexible working arrangements, which we believe are of value for both employers and employees, allowing productivity gains and a better work-life balance.
For consistency, since an employee’s request must be given in writing, we recommend amending clause 24, new section 69AAE, to require an employer’s response also to be given in writing. If the request was refused, the employer would also be required to state and explain the reason for the refusal.
The above, in my view – is a case of where less is more in terms of prescription. I believe it is really beneficial to employees who want to and need to set other priorities in their lives apart from being married to their job. We all have different drivers and a one size fits all prescription is not necessarily the way to go.
Rest and meal breaks
However, there is a rather onerous provision in place that needs to be discussed. This provision deals with the relaxation of prescribed breaks, in particular the provisions that relate to meal and rest breaks.
The explanatory notes in the bill states,
rest break and meal break provisions, to reduce prescription and allow for flexibility, including compensatory measures where there is a failure to provide a break
On the face of it, this does not seem to be an overtly onerous provision as it allows for less prescription and we all like to have less rigidity in our lives right?
The commentary section of the bill provides a little more insight into the machinations of this seemingly harmless amendment. (authors underlines)
Rest and meal breaks
Clauses 43 to 46 of the bill would change the existing rules for employees’ entitlements to rest and meal breaks. The aim is to move from a prescriptive to a more flexible approach, encouraging employers and employees to negotiate in good faith about workable arrangements as to how and when breaks should be taken. The changes proposed would require an employer to provide reasonable compensatory measures where an employee could not reasonably be provided with breaks.
We are aware of considerable concern about these provisions, particularly about the possible impact on employees’ health and safety if breaks are restricted. We have considered these issues carefully. The majority of us consider two points to be particularly relevant. First, the bill would not override any requirements under other legislation. For example, specific regulations governing hours of work for drivers of passenger transport services, and—importantly—the general duty imposed on employers under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, would be unaffected by the provisions in question. Section 6 of that Act imposes a general duty on employers to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees at work, including providing and maintaining a safe work environment.
An employer’s responsibility under that Act for controlling hazards extends to any person’s behaviour resulting from physical or mental fatigue that might be an actual or potential source of harm to themselves or others. Providing breaks, or varying the nature or intensity of work, would remain obvious ways for an employer to address such hazards, regardless of the changes proposed in the bill.
A second important consideration is the reasonableness test in these clauses. Clause 44, new section 69ZD(2), specifies that any restriction of rest or meal breaks must be reasonable and necessary, having regard to the nature of the employee’s work. If breaks were not provided, a reasonable compensatory measure must be provided (new section 69ZEB).
The majority of us consider that these factors would ensure that the bill met the policy intent of improving workplace flexibility, while continuing to protect the rights of employees. Accordingly, we are not recommending any amendment of these provisions.”
Apart from the status quo remaining for employees who operate heavy machinery, the changes though small are significant. Let’s dissect these paragraphs into its component parts and do a vis-à-vis with what is currently stipulated in the current Employment Relations Act 2000.
Clause 43 of the Bill replaces Section 69ZC of the Act
The main difference is the introduction of the term compensatory measure which allows the employee to be compensated when breaks have not been given for any work period. The compensation is time based only and on the face of it would allow for accrual of missed breaks that can be taken at a later date/time.
Clause 44 of the Bill replaces Section 69ZD and 69ZE of the Act
Entitlement to rest and meal breaks
The current provision requires employers to provide to employees break and meal times which for a typical eight hour work day is two 10 minute paid breaks and 30 minutes unpaid meal time.
The new provision begins by stating employees are entitled to rest and meal breaks but then goes on to state that such breaks may be subject to restrictions by the employer as long as the test of reasonableness has been met.
Timing as to when an employer provides rest and meal breaks
The current provision states that in a typical eight hour work day, there needs to be a minimum of a 30 minute meal break halfway through the work period; and a 10 minute rest break halfway between the start of the work period and the meal break; and after the meal break till the time the work period concludes.
The new provision does away with any prescribed timing for the rest and meal breaks. It is also silent on the duration of a paid break or an unpaid meal break and states it is up to the employer and employee to negotiate such outcomes in good faith.
Clause 45 of the Bill replaces Section 69ZF of the Act
The current provision allows for the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to impose penalties on the employer should the ERA rule that the employer has failed to discharge their obligations under the Act, by not providing an employee their rest and meal breaks.
The new provision does away with this avenue for the ERA to impose penalties whatsoever if such breaches occur.
Clause 46 of the Bill replaces 69ZG and 69ZH of the Act
The current provision allows for the employer to provide additional or enhanced rest or meal breaks above the minimum legal requirement and overrides any attempts by the employer to include provisions in the contract to provide rest or meal breaks below the bare minimum legal requirement; and should the latter occur, it will not result in the contract being declared null and void.
The new provision also allows for the employer to provide additional or enhanced rest or meal breaks but there is no prescribed minimum legal requirement in this instance. It merely restates the fact that the employer must provide some form of a rest or meal break and if unable to, must provide some form of compensatory measure.
In summary, the rest and meal break changes when viewed in its entirety, basically strips away the basic legal protections for employees as far as rest and meal breaks are concerned. The lack of prescription does create an unwanted degree of haziness as it will be entirely up to the employer’s discretion as to how and when these rest or meal breaks occur with no minimum legal requirement stipulated.
Rest and meal breaks have been reduced to some sort of abstract and arbitrary animal where one’s entitlement to such basic necessities are founded on the test for reasonableness and one’s own ability to negotiate for good outcomes.
The part of the bill that does away with the ERA’s ability to impose penalties on employers who fail to discharge their obligations under the current Act is particularly worrying and disingenuous at best. It is a strong signal for unscrupulous employers to do what they want with rest and meal breaks with no impunity.
What does this mean for employees?
In my opinion, well-educated employees in relatively senior white collar positions stand to lose the least with these raft of changes as they will likely be in a position of strength to bargain for additional or enhanced rest or meal breaks. This may be due to having the wherewithal to negotiate for better outcomes because they are better equipped and more cognisant of their rights; and they possess “sort-after-skills” to leverage of. Having said that, there will in time be a likelihood of mission creep and this could manifest itself in trading away or compromising remuneration negotiations as the enhanced or additional rest or meal breaks can be used as a bargaining tool for employers to under pay.
The employees who are most likely to be significantly impacted by these raft of changes, including the other provisions to knee cap collective bargaining, will be (you guessed it!) – the low paid and casualised workforce. The less skilled, unskilled and casualised workforce have minimal ability to negotiate for better terms and conditions as it currently stands and these changes merely seek to destabilise and erode those rights further. These employees will be at the whim of unscrupulous employers who will only be required by law to provide some semblance of a meal or rest break as there will no longer be a basic prescribed legal requirement in terms of timing and duration. Even in cases where breaches occur, the employment relations authority will no longer be able to impose penalties upon the offending employer.
There are other aspects of the bill I would like to comment on in more detail as time permits but when viewed collectively, most of these changes effectively puts the boot in employees and is clearly targeted at those employees who are most vulnerable – eg hospitality, retail, cleaning, aged care sectors.
This bill reinforces the Nat’s slow and steady but effective chipping away of employee’s rights and will really resonate with its core constituency – “Business as usual” indeed!
JAmooches
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As the weight of the world Hangs on your shoulders The weight of the world Starts to take over again And over again All that you once loved, now you hate So slowly relearn how to meditate To have and to hold And never let go Can you feel it ...1 week ago - Thursday 14 November 2024
The Treaty Principles Bill is set to have its First Reading in the House today, as the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti continues. More than 40 KCs have written to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General outlining their “grave concerns” about the substance of the Treaty Principles Bill, while an academic and ...1 week ago
- Trump’s return to White House brings the climate’s ‘find out’ phase closer
As we absorb the news of Trump's victory in the US Presidential election, here’s a wrap compiled just before the result of what it might mean for climate action: The UN Secretary General says the prospective departure of the United States would cripple the Paris Agreement, likening it to the ...1 week ago
- Time and Space in the City Centre
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel. The header image is from Walthamstow, London The city centre now has a few stretches of street where the space has been repurposed to a people and place focused design from full time traffic use. These are a great ...1 week ago
- An opportunity for a pro-growth tax switch
As the Hikoi against it swells into the tens of thousands, KCs call on National to kill off ACT’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, November 14: The ...1 week ago
- Release: Government should be transparent on live exports
Targeted consultation on reinstating live cattle exports by sea won’t allow the New Zealand public to have their say. ...6 hours ago - NZ’s global climate rankings plummet as Govt removes agriculture from ETS
The Government has passed legislation to remove agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) while Aotearoa’s reputation on climate action plummets. ...21 hours ago - Failed boot camp experiment must end
As legislation to set up boot camps passed its first reading, the Green Party urged the Government to abandon this failed policy experiment for the good of our rangatahi. ...22 hours ago
- Gender-affirming care must centre evidence and health needs, not political posturing
The Ministry of Health has today released an evidence brief regarding the use of puberty blockers in gender-affirming healthcare, amid moves by the government to limit access. ...22 hours ago
- Release: National doesn’t care about manufacturing
The National Government is walking away from our manufacturing sector with constant reports of closures and job losses. ...24 hours ago
- Release: David Parker speech – Piketty, Inequality and Climate Change
David Parker's speech from the University of Auckland's forum on Piketty, Inequality and Climate Change in September 2024. ...24 hours ago
- Release: Youth mental wellbeing no longer a priority for Child Poverty Minister
Louise Upston has revealed her diminished vision for vulnerable youth against a backdrop of snubbed advice, scrapped priorities, shifted goal posts and thousands more children projected to fall into poverty. ...1 day ago
- Release: National’s lack of climate action taking NZ backwards
National Government’s backward-looking climate policy has seen New Zealand fall seven places on the Climate Change Performance Index to 41 out of 63 countries measured. ...1 day ago
- Release: Simple reason for drop in emergency housing
When the Government says it has reduced the number of people in emergency housing, what it means is it is stopping people from accessing it in the first place. ...1 day ago
- Govt’s child wellbeing strategy ‘shallow and shameful’
The Government is turning its back on children by not only weakening child poverty reduction targets, but also removing child mental wellbeing as a priority focus in their Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy. ...1 day ago
- Release: A historic win for Samoan communities
Labour warmly welcomes the Restoring Samoan Citizenship Bill as it passes its third reading, before becoming law. ...1 day ago
- Government plan to reinstate live animal exports a “national disgrace”
The Government has taken a giant step backwards by reinstating live animal exports. ...2 days ago
- Pasifika justice as Member’s Bill passes final reading
Teanau Tuiono’s Member’s Bill, the Citizenship (Western Samoa Restoration) Amendment Bill, has passed its third reading and will become law. ...2 days ago
- Release: Minister of Education thinks New Zealand ends at the Bombay Hills
The Minister of Education has shown complete disregard for rural communities and their school bus routes in Question Time today. ...2 days ago
- Economists sound alarm on Government’s slash-and-burn approach
A group of prominent economists has released an open letter to the Government, raising grave concerns about the far-reaching consequences of its fiscal policy. ...2 days ago
- Release: Smoking numbers up under Costello’s watch
National’s repeal of Labour’s smokefree legislation has taken New Zealand further away from achieving a Smokefree 2025 and a smokefree generation. ...2 days ago
- Release: Call for Palestine recognition by NZ, Australian and Canadian MPs
Parliamentarians from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have written an open letter to their respective Prime Ministers calling on them to recognise Palestine. ...2 days ago
- Justice Select Committee opens floor for Treaty Principles submissions
Today, the Justice Select Committee has decided to officially open submissions for the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Power of the people on full display as hīkoi approaches Parliament
Today, Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Wellington, with thousands gathering to march in unity against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Hypocrisy as Te Whatu Ora contractor bill balloons
Te Whatu Ora’s bill for contracting and consulting staff has ballooned by nearly 20 percent under the National Government, breaking a promise they made during the election campaign to cut contractors. ...4 days ago
- Release: Growing pressure to scrap Section 7AA Repeal Bill
The newly released Section 7AA Repeal Bill's select committee report is further evidence that the Government should scrap it. ...5 days ago
- Government’s move to monetise access to nature a slippery slope
The Green Party is voicing serious concerns over the Government’s proposal to charge for access to public conservation land, released today. ...1 week ago
- Green Party condemns the passage of Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party condemns the passing of the Treaty Principles Bill at first reading, and is clear that the fight is not over. ...1 week ago
- Stand Up for Te Tiriti
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our country’s founding document. It forms the basis of the relationship between Māori and the Crown – and the Aotearoa New Zealand we live in today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Over 15,000 sign Labour’s open letter to Luxon
As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation
The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...1 week ago
- Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned
The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...1 week ago
- Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors
Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...1 week ago
- Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care
Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...1 week ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...2 weeks ago
- Child Protection Investigation Unit established
A new Child Protection Investigation Unit is being established to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in care, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “The report released by the Royal Commission into abuse in state care shows us all the risk of not acting immediately when there are serious ...49 minutes ago - Record number of submissions received on granny flat proposal
Nearly 2,000 submissions have been received on the Government’s proposals aimed at making it easier to build a granny flat of up to 60 square metres without a resource or building consent, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say. “This is the highest number ...3 hours ago
- District Court Judge appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Rebecca Guthrie as a District Court Judge. Judge Guthrie was admitted to the bar in 1997 following her graduation from the University of Canterbury in 1996 (LLB, BA). She commenced her legal career in Hastings in 1997 before moving to London in ...3 hours ago
- Appointments strengthen Predator Free 2050
The latest Predator Free 2050 Board appointments will help to strengthen biodiversity efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. Mr Potaka today announced two appointments to the Board of Directors of Predator Free 2050 Limited, a key player in the wider Predator Free 2050 Programme. “The Predator ...5 hours ago
- New facility in Christchurch will improve the lives of young New Zealanders
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today opened Kahurangi, an innovative and much-needed facility for Canterbury’s Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health Services. “The new state of the art outpatient facility opened today will be a gamechanger for the way mental health is delivered for young people in Canterbury,” says Mr ...5 hours ago
- Driver safety screens to be installed on Auckland buses
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that bus driver protection screens will be installed across Auckland’s bus fleet by 2026.“The Government is committed to improving the safety of working environments for bus drivers, and Budget 2024 allocated $15 million of Crown funding over ...5 hours ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...22 hours ago
- Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
The Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Bill had its first reading at Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “In recent years we have seen an unacceptable spike in youth offending. “This Bill makes ...22 hours ago
- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, ...23 hours ago
- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...23 hours ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Europe for high-level talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom next week. "Since taking office almost a year ago, the Coalition Government has emphasised the importance we place on New Zealand's traditional and likeminded diplomatic and ...24 hours ago
- First arrests made under gang patch ban
Police have made their first arrests under the new gang patch legislation, with two gang members arrested, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Just before 11 this morning, Police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket. He has been arrested and will now face enforcement ...1 day ago
- Better support for victims of sexual violence
The Government is proposing two major changes to name suppression laws that will put the views of victims of sexual violence first, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We are committed to restoring law and order and these two proposed changes will help ensure the victims of crime are put at ...1 day ago
- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
Cabinet has agreed to invite all regions to submit proposals for Regional Deals between central and local government that drive economic growth and deliver the infrastructure our country needs, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. Inviting all regions to propose a Regional Deal that boosts ...1 day ago
- MSA pilot participant update
One of the ten young men selected to participate in the Military-Style Academy Pilot has allegedly reoffended. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is disappointed but says it would be naïve to think that none of these young men would reoffend. “I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity ...1 day ago
- Fighting for Kiwis in Trade
Delivered at Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School Good morning and thank you Deputy Vice Chancellor Lithander for your warm welcome and for inviting me to open Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School today. A Special thanks to the University of Auckland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ...1 day ago
- Attendance rates increase, again
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that school attendance is continuing to rise. In Term 3 of 2024 51.3 per cent of students attended school regularly, an increase of 5.3 percentage points from 46 per cent in Term 3 of 2023. “This Government has prioritised student attendance and it is ...1 day ago
- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
Ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world for children and young people is the vision at the heart of the Government’s new Child and Youth Strategy, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. “Childhood represents a huge opportunity to set people on a positive path towards living ...1 day ago
- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
The Government is reinstating the trade of livestock exports by sea while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard.“The Government will introduce legislation changes to reinstate the trade, enhance oversight, and strengthen requirements for exporters to identify risks and manage the welfare of ...2 days ago
- Speech to the National Quality Forum 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa – it is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the important leadership role you all play in ensuring a quality health system New Zealanders can trust. There is enormous clinical expertise in this room covering a wide range of disciplines. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...2 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
The Government has released its second Quarterly Investment Report (QIR) which shows substantial work still to be done by agencies to improve investment reporting and meet the Government’s expectations, Infrastructure and Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “New Zealand has significant infrastructure and investment needs. The Government is determined to get ...2 days ago
- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$10 million to the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage while at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. “New Zealand is joining the global effort to address the significant challenge of responding to ...2 days ago
- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
The free ride for gangs is over when the clock strikes midnight tonight, with tough new laws officially coming into effect, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say. “Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a ...2 days ago
- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
The Government is welcoming the decision by the Local Government Funding Agency to increase access to financing tools for fast growing councils to support greater investment in critical infrastructure, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Communities across the country are facing an infrastructure deficit and significant population growth is projected in ...2 days ago
- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
The Government has revealed that over the past three years, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has spent an eyewatering $786 million of taxpayers’ money on road cones and temporary traffic management (TTM), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“When I became Minister, I was surprised to learn that that NZTA did ...3 days ago
- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
Legislation that will double the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from $30,000 to $60,000 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. “We need to improve court timeliness and access to justice so that Kiwis and get on with their lives. Court delays affect everyone, the ...3 days ago
- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
Legislation that will specifically criminalise foreign interference and strengthen espionage offences has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “It is normal and appropriate for states to interact and work to influence one another. This encourages cooperation and can have mutually beneficial outcomes. “However, the reality ...3 days ago
- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved funding towards pre-implementation and early works on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance (RoNS). “Reaching this significant milestone is a reflection of our Government’s ...3 days ago
- Health survey results to help drive change
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says findings from the annual Health Survey highlight the need to continue driving better health outcomes for New Zealanders. The New Zealand Health Survey is an annual snapshot of key metrics measured from July 2023 – July 2024. Findings released this morning include: In 2023/24, ...3 days ago
- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...3 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...3 days ago
- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...3 days ago
- Red Tape Tipline goes live
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...3 days ago
- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...4 days ago
- Police stats show promising change
After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...4 days ago
- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...4 days ago
- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
Minister for Children Karen Chhour will consider the recommendations made by the Social Services and Community Committee in its report back to Parliament on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. “I want to thank the people who made submissions and those who appeared before the committee in ...4 days ago
- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. “We need to take every opportunity to engage with our international partners, given the increasingly unstable geo-political situation,” Ms Collins says. “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to this ...4 days ago
- Launching the White Ribbon Ride
The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, was on hand to wish riders well at the start of the North Island leg of the White Ribbon Ride in Whakatāne this morning. The ride helps mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ...5 days ago
- ‘Wanted’ for war crimes over Gaza: Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant face ICC arrest warrants
Democracy Now! NERMEEN SHAIKH: In The Hague, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Israel’s assault on Gaza. In a statement, the ICC said the Israeli leaders had, ...1 hour ago - New Child Protection Investigation Unit announced by Children’s Minister
The unit will be up and running by early next year, Children's Minister Karen Chhour says. ...2 hours ago - In-person submissions on Treaty Principles Bill to be at Parliament or by video call
In-person submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill will all be held at Parliament or by video call. ...2 hours ago
- ‘Got my support’ – Christopher Luxon stands by Erica Stanford after ‘stupid ...
The prime minister says it wasn't appropriate behaviour but that Erica Stanford had apologised. ...2 hours ago
- Gang chapter president’s patch seized in first 24 hours of ban
The first arrest was made just three minutes after midnight, with 11 more to come. ...2 hours ago
- Government slammed for pushing on with boot camps amid trial
Labour has accused National of ignoring the evidence. ...2 hours ago
- The unspoken rule of conversation that explains why AI chatbots feel so human
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Chair of Linguistics and Director of Language Lab, The University of Western Australia Rroselavy / Shutterstock Earlier this year, a Hong Kong finance worker was tricked into paying US$25 million to scammers who had used deepfake technology to ...2 hours ago
- Who were Caracalla and Geta, the cruel and unhinged Roman brother emperors depicted in Gladiator II?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Hanaghan, Senior Research Fellow in Latin Christianity in Late Antiquity, Australian Catholic University Warning: this article contains mild spoilers. When Gladiator I was released in 2000, I was a high school Classics student and the film brought Classical literature to life ...2 hours ago
- Gang patch ban: The first 24 hours
The first arrest was made just three minutes after midnight, with 11 more to come. ...3 hours ago
- New Zealand Government Urged To Back ICC Arrest Warrants For Israeli Leaders Without Equivocation
“We are waiting for our government to announce it will arrest Netanyahu and Gallant immediately if they set foot in Aotearoa New Zealand” says PSNA National Chair John Minto. ...3 hours ago - Justice Committee Makes Further Decisions About Submissions Process For The Principles Of The Treaty...
The committee plans to hold hearings in the week starting Monday, 27 January and the weeks starting 10, 17 and 24 February 2025. ...4 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon faces questions during power station visit
It comes as Labour accuses National of not listening to evidence about boot camps. ...4 hours ago
- Survivors of abuse in care know how redress should work – will the government finally listen?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Winter, Associate Professor in Political Theory, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images When Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stood in Parliament last week to apologise to survivors of abuse in care, his words were among many fine speeches by ...4 hours ago
- Review: The Day of the Jackal is a riveting and ridiculous ride
Eddie Redmayne’s globe-trotting assassin thriller on TVNZ is worth putting your phone down for. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. This is a vulnerable thing to say as someone who often writes about television for a job, but boy am I really ...4 hours ago - RNA editing is the next frontier in gene therapy – here’s what you need to know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne IoanaB/Shutterstock The United States Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first-ever clinical trial that uses CRISPR-Cas13 RNA editing. Its ...6 hours ago
- Yes, you still need to use sunscreen, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Lee, PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland Karolina Grabowska/Pexels Summer is nearly here. But rather than getting out the sunscreen, some TikTokers are urging followers to chuck it out and go sunscreen-free. They claim it’s healthier ...6 hours ago
- Humans are killing off the old and wise animals that hold nature together. Here’s what must change
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keller Kopf, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Charles Darwin University Laxmikant Ameenagad, Shutterstock In humans and other animals, ageing is generally associated with a decline in biological function. But scientists are now discovering older animals perform vital roles in populations and ecosystems. ...6 hours ago
- A man scouring Google Earth found a mysterious scar in the Australian outback – and now scientists...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matej Lipar, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University Author provided/Google Earth Earlier this year, a caver was poring over satellite images of the Nullarbor Plain when he came across something unexpected: an enormous, mysterious scar etched ...6 hours ago
- Design as a movement: how First Nations people take ownership of their cultural stories through fash...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Once located 250 metres to the east of the Art Gallery of South Australia, the grand beaux-arts style Jubilee Exhibition Building was constructed to house the ...6 hours ago
- ‘We need more doctors’ – Support for new Waikato medical school
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says a third medical school and more students in Auckland and Otago are both needed. ...6 hours ago
- Cricket balls can concuss and even kill batters – at all levels, helmet use must be taken seriousl...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Greenhow, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond University Linda George/Shutterstock The ten-year anniversary of the death of much-loved Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes falls on November 27. The 25-year-old’s life was tragically cut short in 2014 when a bouncer ...6 hours ago
- Hold the roosters, no economic dawn yet
Treasury likely to downgrade economic forecast while Chris Bishop says the government won’t be ‘a slave to a surplus’, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Recession will be deeper and last longer — Treasury At a recent Spinoff ...7 hours ago
- Knowing superstitions aren’t real doesn’t stop us behaving superstitiously – why?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Gomes-Ng, Senior Lecturer of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Former New Zealand prime minister John Key has three white rabbits painted on his helicopter, a nod to his “massively superstitious” habit of repeating “white rabbits” three times at ...8 hours ago
- Government slammed for pushing ahead with boot camps while trial still under way
The coalition has "absolutely no intention of listening to the evidence that comes out of their experiment", Labour MP says. ...9 hours ago
- Smoke and mirrors in tobacco debate
Labour claims Government is ‘cherry-picking’ smoking trends data to hide decade-first increase in daily smokers The post Smoke and mirrors in tobacco debate appeared first on Newsroom. ...9 hours ago - Smoke and mirrors in heated tobacco debate
Labour claims Government is ‘cherry-picking’ smoking trends data to hide decade-first increase in daily smokers The post Smoke and mirrors in heated tobacco debate appeared first on Newsroom. ...9 hours ago
- Treasury bangs the drum on ‘unsustainable’ superannuation
The Government’s economic adviser is sending a message it doesn’t want to hear – superannuation is increasingly unaffordable The post Treasury bangs the drum on ‘unsustainable’ superannuation appeared first on Newsroom. ...9 hours ago
- Victims of sex offending welcome shift on name suppression laws
A man abused by a former political figure is "immensely relieved" at a government proposal to end secrecy around sex offenders' identities. ...9 hours ago
- This week three parties stood together – can they withstand the storm to come?
There is plenty yet to play out, but the next election is at this rate shaping up as trio versus trio, writes Toby Manhire. A subplot of this week’s historic hīkoi mō te Tiriti has been the sight of the three opposition parties presenting a unified front. Te Pāti Māori ...10 hours ago
- All 33 malls in Auckland ranked from worst to best
From the low lows of abandon empires to the high highs of a mall done just right. This is the second in the Malls of New Zealand series, where we rank the malls in major centres. Next week: Wellington. A note from the editor: This is the hardest ranking we’ve ...10 hours ago
- The cost of being: A clothes-mad 20-something who walks everywhere
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The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Perhaps a video of a slave galley rowing furiously across the water, with the national party flag flying and a droll commentary.
[lprent: Ummm. ]
This is bollocks. It’s ridiculous that any of these things are governed by legislation. I’ve never had a standard 8 hour work day, and I’ve never had organised breaks and meal times. I have always been able to take whatever breaks i need, and eat my meals when it suits me. Get the government completely out of running my day
You can give back the free education we wasted on you while you’re at it.
I agree that it’s ridiculous that some employers treat their workforce like shit and have utterly unreasonable expectations. That’s why we had to legislate. If you must whinge and whine about it why don’t you direct your ire where the problem is?
You mean that free education that is pretty much mandatory. Take out English and the social skills learnt at lunchtime and the rest really has bugger all use once you get out into the real world. Free education or indoctrination into a seriously flawed system. I’m not sure which is the more fitting description although I lean towards the latter.
perhaps I am being a little harsh though. I did enjoy sports, 4 square and the school camps too.
Of course the stuff you really want to learn is the stuff you have to pay for and doesn’t start until you leave school. That said in the information age it could all be provided for free (with a little work) on the internet.
Your limited experience has offered you limited insight.
I doubt there are any for whom every lesson is relevant, just as every lesson is relevant to some.
PS: you are confused. The indoctrination centres are called Madrassa in some countries, in New Zealand we refer to them as Charter Schools.
The management class has been able to run their own work day. NZ Judges have aborted trails when it clashed with their travel plans
How would that work out if you were running a retail shop or most workplaces that have a clock punch system
better question, do you have any idea of how the real world works, other than head space that says Im the most important person in the world.
My wife works retail. They don’t take standard breaks, they have theirs during the less busy times, so not to leave reduced staff when they are flat out.
This is how us in the working world work. By getting the job done.
😆 You’re a laughing stock and you don’t even know it, little serf. Pull the wagon harder, donkey 😆
Oh, by the way, this is coming from someone who works in the private sector, only we (my colleagues & I) work smart, and ridicule the fifty hour week fools.
Cheers 😆
The old man always reckoned if you can’t earn a living in forty hours you’re deluded if you think you’ll be able to earn one working fifty hours.
The old man was right. Four waged slaves working fifty hours each steal one whole job from another worker.
As a child of the great depression he was always right about work, leisure – work five days for money and one day for your family keeping the other as your very own, and money – four for your family and one [days wages] for yourself.
I have always been able to take whatever breaks i need, and eat my meals when it suits me….
Of course, it’s all about narcissists like you, innit? Stick to truck driving.
Even gives an opinion and you go straight to attacking him personally.
Maybe get a job, it will enhance you with perspective.
[lprent: Her comment was valid, sarcastic, picked a profession where the practice does happen, and well within the robust rule.
Your comment was not. It was a classic troll comment. Play the victim and then abuse the person you are replying to. With overtones about how others should act (which is our purview).
Banned 2 weeks as a warning not to try troll tactics here ]
lolz at the hypocrite.
Not just a hypocrite: clearly in need of remedial English comprehension, telling a worker to get a job 😆
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism
Feel this is not evident in his post and therefore it might be a bit mean to call him that.
Evan I also work a 12 hour day for one of the largest companies in NZ, I take my breaks when I get time or when it suits me, for as long as I like. I may at times work up to 5 hours without a break but to compensate me I am paid for all of my meal breaks.
I cant see anything wrong with these flexible rules. Lefties are a paranoid bunch who want to live in the 70’s.
😆
Righties are a delusional bunch who want to live the the 19th Century. Your whole life has been enabled by the rights you blindly seek to destroy. I’ll be waiting behind the barn with the axe when you wake up.
Many of us who are neither Right nor Left just simply want to be able to live free. Truly free.
Key words
‘ I get time or when it suits me, for as long as I like
You have the option.
Will all get that option?
The rules aren’t there for good employers. They are there for bad employers to express a minimum standard. You don’t have to look hard to find lousy employers.
I tend not to have lousy employers for very long. Firstly I try not to get employed by them. But I fire them them when I find I have made a mistake. But I also have a lot of hard to find skills.
You better get paid well for that skill set Iprent or I’ll slap you.
And yes, our labour laws have always been about the bad employers and every time we weaken them , we seem to get more bad employers. It’s like some bad Dickens nightmare played over and over.
You can thank the Dairy Workers Union for your excellent terms and conditions. Now that the arse has fallen out the milk powder market your lot are going to have to earn your membership by getting proactive and standing up to the attack by the Tories.
It’s ridiculous that so many of our employers need minimum employment standards to be enforced by legislation. If you don’t want the government in your day, bugger off to Galt’s Gulch in Chile. That worked out really well as a libertarian paradise.
So I take it you work Christmas Day and Easter Sunday then?
I can feel a series of bumper stickers coming on. the first being
LOST YOUR SMOKO? Don’t blame me I didnt vote National.
This is just really confirming, what most workplaces do.
We, in the dairy industry have always organised breaks around keeping our machines running.
Is no reason to freak out.
Why do they need to change the laws ?
Seems like flexibility is there all ready.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand…
21st Sept 2014.
JeffRo, this may come as a shock: everyone’s circumstances are different to yours: when you indulge your stupidity and rest an argument on the basis of nothing but your limited experience, you say something about yourself, and nothing valid or cogent whatsoever.
No it’s not me.
All stated here is opinion, as is mine.
Difference between you and me is, I can accept someone may have a different opinion to me. I will just restate mine or try to enhance.
You there, don’t really handle that well.
But that’s OK.
PS- I have worked in lots of different fields of industry.
[lprent: That other people may have an opinion that is different from yours has not been apparent to me. You usually seem to drop immediately to abuse, and then whine when others call you on it. Just another dumb hypocritical troll. Guess what. The moderators make the rules about behavior. Not you. ]
When did you get the impression that you have a right to hold false beliefs and not incur ridicule for them?
You’ll find that parroting right wing lies brings out hostility in far more than I, and at least I’ll use ridicule rather than pitchforks.
Debating doesn’t require ridicule. You can correct someone for false beliefs and not be nasty. It really is possible! In addition, sometimes there is grey where you may be certain the belief is false but others disagree with you. Therefore, debate is generally one of the best ways of dealing with false beliefs.
Yes, I wish it were so. In reality, contradictory facts harden false beliefs. Research aimed at treating racism, for example, has found emotional approaches far more effective than factual ones.
The tendency for right wingers to be drawn from the ranks of the fearful, lower-IQ portion of the electorate (citations: Hodson & Busseri, Kanai et al) renders fact-based argument more-or-less pointless.
Aristotle figured it out long before the evidence was available: ridicule works. I’ll allow that I may be incompetent in its application, and at least I’m trying.
The section you write about meal and rest breaks already happens in my work place. You never see our boss, Except for 5 minutes before each break where he holds you up as long as he can. Then he often stands there telling you to make another cut on the lathe or some other needless thing uses all my smoko and I don’t get one. He does not compensate me for my loss of break saying he already pays me for it.
He lists my holidays on my pay slip in a monerary manner so I have no idea how many days holidays I get, Quite frankly this cock is pissed he has to pay a wage in the first place, I’ve had to walk out on him to get a freaking decent wage rise.
I agree most places are not like this, but heck I definitely will lose smoke and as he already pays me for it I may as well work it instead mentality.
Don’t tell me to look for another job either, their are none in this small town in nowhere NZ. Got me by the balls and he knows it. He pushed me so far I walked out twice, still comes back though, at least last time I got a 2.25 pay rise which shut my moaning up for awhile still 16.75 for a engineering co is pretty sad, when two up the road are paying 23.50 but lay off to often on the downturn. Fark 16.75 tough to do that when your getting burned and cut daily. Living wage ,pray for a living wage. pray the prick doesn’t take the labour reforms to seriously It’ll be embarrassing for him the day he tells us all no more morning or afternoon smoko.
At the end of the day we are all human and can only be pushed so far, we may not have unions anymore but individually we will still cause workforce pandemonium with mass quits happening.
“Don’t tell me to look for another job either, their are none in this small town in nowhere NZ”
..
“still 16.75 for a engineering co is pretty sad, when two up the road are paying 23.50 ”
Ok…
scary, : if your my boss I luv you.
That sounds awful, Richard, I’m sorry to hear you have a boss with such an awful attitude toward his workers.
Sadly, this doesn’t sound terribly unfamiliar. 🙁
It is great when bosses and employees realize that mutual respect is absolutely vital for good working conditions and that many other positive things accrue from such – not least on that list is a happy and contented work environment.
Blue, I’ve had a few jobs in my life, never seen a boss like him. ever. He leaves my jaw gob smacked at times.
The most valuable thing we each have is time, and he steals mine daily.
I’m pretty reasonable in the work place, at one company I never had any breaks and could eat on the fly, didn’t bother me. Doing heavy work I want and need a break after two hours and if you saw the labour we do you would agree. To make me do unpaid extra’s after supposedly finishing for the day re lockup and timesheets is bloody rude.
If they remove these laws protecting the employee’s, we will create issues for people who have no consideration to the consequences of their actions. psychopaths, Nat supporters, most business owners .. 🙂
We need to band the country and strike. It’s a matter of crossed lines. It’s time they got back behind theirs.
Has he got people queuing up to take your job?
Well BM the only thing I have going for me is I work hard, I’m keen, I learn fast.
On the downside I talk to much, wander off on a tangent occasionally, as in start fixing faults with the lathe.
I like the work, no I love the work, I just think the remuneration is piss poor. The owner has the personal management skills of a concentration camp guard, and that in all the corporates I ever worked for they had relaxed work atmosphere’s their was more productivity then in a workforce where the bosses ride the workers for maximum output.
just in the maintenance of the equipment their is less downtime, people in good work environments proactively take care of their work equipment.
Personally from experience working in several countries with different cultures a unstressed workplace is the happiest and most productive. time they all learned that valuable lesson.
We don’t need more rules or more legislation we will all work with good employers in whatever they ask they know it damn it. This law serves one purpose, forcing us to comply to bad employers, removing our right to jkeep bad employers from taking the piss.
That’s the mint sauce for the sheep right there.
Better to monkeywrench or take other types of direct action before expecting help in the form of collective action. Specifically, I’d advise you to cripple your employer: demonstrate to him exactly where the power is. He’s already caved both times you took strike action.
Exactly, I don’t think Richard quite realizes the power he has.
Obviously his boss knows and really enjoys treating him like a fool.
No BM workers are a dime a dozen, I’m good, but replaceable. Don’t worry about that.
I am a good worker, he knows it that’s why it was good to see him eat humble pie drive in and work out a better pay rise and training agenda.
I have a professional career as an IT engineer, network administrator few other avenues having worked for at that time NZ’s largest NZ owned computer manufacturer. I took on a job at an engineering company to round of my skill set for my hobby Astronomy.( I can whack up the electronics also build my own mounts with metal shop training) 🙂 I have skills matey. My boss quickly found that out, now I’m machining some of the shops most difficult items.
I laugh though when his clapped old machinery, especially the CNC or plasma break down and he’s trying to repair it. I offered some help one day and he said “what would you know your just a computer engineer.” must of been bad, as repair training, systematic diagnosing , tracing and finding faults is something you can transfer to any object, I laughed internally as it’s been a year pissing around with it so far.
Fucking insult from a guy who doesn’t even know where to start looking.
Meanwhile on my own I learned pretty much the shop, from welding to almost the CNC machine if I could just get 5 minutes on that control panel 🙂
From given a recipe to final product I do it all the way through daily, so fair go mate I think, pay me what that’s worth a fitter turner would get near 30 wouldn’t he, I’d be happy with 18.80 honest, I have a mortgage, be nice to earn a living and be able to afford a better life than stay home, work just pay bills with internet and sky. I should be saving for my holidays.
What’s he charging you out at?
If he’s charging out at $70+, realistically you could go to around $25.00 an hour.
The problem for you though is that you don’t have any written qualifications which rather hampers you.
Any chance someone would fix the formatting in the post to make it easier to follow?
Done. I probably need to look at the font in the post editor. It looked ok in there on wsiwyg.
Cut and paste from a word document, which in turn had pastes from the legislative pages. *sigh*
thanks.
This has the potential to cost jobs. If say 10%of employers are bad employers, ones who take advantage of there staff. If a number of those 10% use this to reduce staff numbers due to not needing so many staff to cover those break times, lunch times etc, this will directly cost jobs. If 10 %of employees no longer have smoko or lunch breaks this indirectly cost jobs in small cafes, coffee shops etc. This will also have an direct impact on other service businesses, such as doctors, hairdressers etc as a number of employees are no longer able use lunch breaks to visit the gp or hairdresser. And before those trolls say this wont happen, get in the real world, there are huge numbers of small business owners who exploit there staff and get away with it.
Its a shame that there are still pricks employing people in this country that are so bad govt needs to legislate reasonable conditions.
Whilst for some the mandatory breaks are inconvenient its hardly a sufferance compared to what will happen to some employees with few options when this amendment passes.
This change is a mistake…
Join a union and tell your workmates to join.
I belong to a strong union. They don’t mess with us.
We’re happy and they’re happy.
I would have enjoyed your analysis more, except for the curlish start you made to this blog. The rest was OK, but I could not get out of my head you went for a cheap shots JAmooches. That really did mess with the message.
Unions are the answer – but this will undercut them more.
My guess is with zero hour contracts and more anti-union legislation coming – working people in this country are about to get kicked in the guts again.
Just remember to repeat to all the RWNJ’s, that a union is nothing more than a free association of workers, looking for a better life, for them and their families.
Yep, the rubbish at the beginning about marshmallows and Labour looking at ships left me cold. I almost didn’t read past that. I like reading stuff that is short(ish), succint, informative, inspiring, and stays on topic.