• Full Story

Labour promises to repeal 90-day law

Email
Print

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 3:47p.m.

Party leader Phil Goff says most Kiwis are worse off than they were three years ago

Party leader Phil Goff says most Kiwis are worse off than they were three years ago

Labour is promising to repeal the 90-day probation law and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Party leader Phil Goff says most Kiwis are worse off than they were three years ago and only wealthy people benefited from the Government's tax cuts.

"Labour will reverse the Government's punitive changes to employment laws and put in place a system to lift the bar on wages so that we can compete better with Australia," he said when he released the party's work and wages policy on Tuesday.

The policy includes:

  • Raising the minimum wage from $13 to $15 an hour
  • Appointing a Workplace Commissioner to deal with industry standards
  • Repealing the 90-day probation law, which allows new workers to be sacked without recourse to a grievance process
  • Amending the Holidays Act to ensure 11 days of public holidays each year, regardless of them falling on a weekend
  • Restoring reinstatement as the primary remedy when an employee has been unjustifiably dismissed, and
  • A system for extending minimum wage and conditions standards in suitable industries.

"Labour's work and wages policy is a sensible way forward to improve the lives of Kiwis and is standard practice in many other countries we compare ourselves with, including Australia," Mr Goff said.

NZN

Become a fan of 3 News on Facebook and on Twitter.

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

20 Oct 2011 07:54p.m.

Baza wrote:

National are killing us, if you are not a greenie or a maori activist what do you do? you vote labour, even though you dont like goff, because at least they care about the workers.

20 Oct 2011 11:49a.m.

Hamish wrote:

@Brent, yes Labour have been complicit in this as well, 1500 is a drop in the bucket compared to the stats I was looking at on the immigration NZ website. What im getting at is National took on the job of shepherding NZers through the financial crises, would you not start by protecting NZers incomes? An imediate pause on immigration would have been in order. Check out the stats, its a bit disturbing. On the other hand National are favouring foreigners over kiwis, encouraging educated foriegners to come here and making it harder for NZers to study. John Key is a globalist, he is not here for kiwis, he is here for big money people and thats all. People tell me what Goff has done in the past, perhaps its time for all these older politicians to move on.

20 Oct 2011 07:00a.m.

Brent wrote:

@Hamish, Bit one eyed there mate. The current import of working immigrants came in under Labour, Including the 1500 chinese a year that Phil Goff sign off on. The current Government has pushed people back into work Slowing the influx, Under Labour Benefits would rise as to the overseas workers.

19 Oct 2011 06:52p.m.

Hamish wrote:

I agree with Sam, I have never been interested in unions but it seems the way forward when confronted with National policies. Heres a question, why do corporations and big business like and quietly encourage high unemployment? And why is the govt bringing in 10s of thousands of immigrants when we have high unemployment? Answer, unemployment drives down wages and gives employers the upper hand in negotiations. Labours new policies would just make things fairer. Nationals policies are doing all the pushing.

19 Oct 2011 06:37p.m.

eddie wrote:

OK guys...and Clarke, every OECD country has this bill (yes you call it 'fire at will'...but no matter) except Denmark. Aussie/UK/Canada/USA etc etc and 90 days that NZ has is one of the lowest, in fact it IS the lowest...most are 6mths+

Sooooo, you all want to be part of 'the OECD/world', but not that bit?...lol

19 Oct 2011 03:23p.m.

Clarke wrote:

@Tb greedy corporates... lol MSG? MacDonalds? Microsoft... just about every greedy american corporation has offices here and directly influences John Key. That isnt to say we dont have our own either... Fontera is the perfect example of a corporation gone daft. Key also changed employment law to suit Warner brothers... a greedy american corporation.

19 Oct 2011 08:29a.m.

Sam wrote:

The Unions have worked well in OZ, and look at the state of the New Zealand worker, "BRING BACK STRONG UNIONS"

19 Oct 2011 05:43a.m.

TB wrote:

Clarke, who exactly are the greedy corporates in New Zealand?

19 Oct 2011 12:09a.m.

Hamish wrote:

Great stuff, vote for policys people, you dont have to crap on your workers to get rich and you might even keep your good ones longer. George, workers just want a fair go, a good boss and some basic rights. If you are an employer I know theres some bad workers out there but theres some really crappy bosses too. And I have to ask what has National done for small business, raise GST?

18 Oct 2011 08:14p.m.

george wrote:

This will be a leap back to the 70's with unions having too much power in NZ. They already appear to control the Labour party. Labour need to realise that small business' employ the majority of people in NZ. This just makes it harder for them to operate and provides a disincentive for them to employ new people.