If you thought the Nats promising to sort out zero hours contracts was too good to be true — you were right:
Unite: Bill allows zero-hour contracts in disguise
Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse, already under fire this week over his controversial health and safety reforms, has now been accused of lying about wanting to end zero-hour contracts.
After a successful campaign earlier this year by Unite Union to get rid of zero-hour contracts in the fast-food industry, Mr Woodhouse said they were “unfair”, “unbalanced” and soon to be “unlawful”.
But Unite says his new Bill, introduced last week, is “truly horrifying” and actually “makes the situation worse”.
“The new law actually legalises zero-hour contracts, whereas in the past there was some legal ambiguity in their use,” says national director Mike Treen.Zero-hour contracts involve an employee being required to show up for work when the employer demands, but the employer isn’t obligated to give them any hours. Often the employee is prevented from working for another employer, meaning their income can fluctuate from week-to-week – even down to nothing. …
Typical Nats – what happened to “unfair”, “unbalanced” and soon to be “unlawful”? Unite ran an effective campaign against zero hour contracts, causing some employers to dump them. It’s time to get that campaign back in to gear.
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