National Day of Action for Fairness – CTU
new-zealand-council-of-trade-unions
Wed Oct 20 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
National Day of Action for Fairness – CTU
Wednesday, 20 October 2010, 10:14 am
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
National Day of Action for Fairness – CTU
Thousands of workers from a myriad of occupations and from Kaitaia to Bluff will stop work today to discuss their rights at work.
Helen Kelly, CTU President, said, “The Government is shifting the balance very much in favour of employers and workers can see how unfair this is. Today’s action is part of an ongoing campaign to demand fairness at work”.
“The issues of concern”, Kelly said, “include the removal of the right to appeal against unfair dismissal in the first 90 days of employment. This is part of an attack on job security along with reduced requirements for procedural fairness, restrictions on the ability of the Court to question the reason for dismissal, and removing reinstatement as a primary remedy.
“Other attacks on work rights include new restrictions on access of workers to union advice and support, and a proposal for employers, without reasonable grounds, to require a doctor’s certificate for one day’s absence.”
Helen Kelly said that these attacks are in a similar vein to the changes to employment law in the 1990s which drove down wages and conditions of work.
“These changes are unnecessary, unworkable, unfair and are insulting to workers – suggesting they are skivers, throw sickies, and claim imaginary grievances.
“These proposals are bad for workers, and are a disgraceful attack on work rights at a time that workers are having a tough time due to the recession, minimal wage rises and high unemployment.”
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Helen Kelly said that good employers don’t need these changes and they are unpopular with the public.
“80% of Kiwis support our view that every worker should have the right of appeal against unfair dismissal in first 90 days,” she said.
Helen Kelly will speak at the rally outside Parliament in Wellington. Richard Wagstaff, CTU Vice-President, will speak at the Telstra Clear Events Centre in Manukau.
For details see www.fairness.org.nz for a map of events.
ENDS.
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