Government failed to listen on meal breaks bill

new-zealand-labour-party

Fri Sep 24 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Government failed to listen on meal breaks bill

Friday, 24 September 2010, 12:13 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

**Government failed to listen on meal breaks bill
**
The government has taken almost no notice of submitters’ concerns about the meals and rest breaks bill, which was today reported back to Parliament, says Darien Fenton, the Labour Party’s associate spokesperson for labour issues.

“This bill all but guts the right to meals and rest breaks and leaves both employers and employees uncertain around what the entitlements actually are,” said Darien Fenton.

“A minimum standard for rest and meal breaks is fundamental to decent and safe work and a basic requirement especially as New Zealand has few other working hour protections.”

Darien Fenton said the Bill : Removes the timing and the explicit requirement for a 10-minute paid break and a half-hour meal break .

Allows rest and meal breaks to be taken at times agreed between the employee and employer will expose vulnerable workers to having no breaks at all.

“Leaves open to abuse ‘compensatory measures’ where rest and meal breaks cannot be provided (or agreed).

“Enables employers to restrict rest and meal breaks given the nature of an employee’s work – in other words, workers can be required to work during unpaid work time.

“The government has overreacted to the complaints of a very few, and to issues that could have been resolved under the existing Act.

“The bill is a retrograde step in New Zealand’s employment relations. Labour believes it will add to, rather than remove employment relationship problems and cause unfairness to thousands of vulnerable employees,” said Darien Fenton.

ENDS

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