Making a submission on the proposed employment law changes

If you would like to make a submission on Employment Relations Amendment Bill No 2, the Government's proposed changes to employment law, please follow steps 1-5 listed below and post your submission to Parliament so that it arrives before the closing date of Monday, 13 September, 2010:

1) Copy the form below and add your name, contact address, phone number and the date on which you make the submission at the top of the page.
2) Add your own comments on the dotted lines at the bottom. It's good to give specific examples from your own personal experience.
3) Please tick whether you want to make speak in person by making an oral submission on the Bill and - if you live outside Wellington - list where you live so the Select Committee can travel to hear your oral submission.
4) Please sign the submission to indicate the sector you work in and/or whether you are a member of a union.
5) Send your submission to the New Zealand Parliament address given before Monday 13 September (Friday 10 September if possible). No stamp is needed to send a submission to Parliament, it can be sent Freepost.

OUTLINE FOR SUBMISSION:

Clerk of the Committee
Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee
Select Committee Office
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

To the members of the Transport and Industrial Relations Selection Committee:

I am opposed to the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (No 2). This Bill seriously attacks the rights of all working New Zealanders and undermines trust and fairness in the workplace. I am writing to you to share my disgust at these proposed changes and ask that the Select Committee reject the Bill.

I am particularly opposed to:
1. Extending the 90 day no-rights period to all workers in a new job. Removing the protection against unfair dismissal is unfair and unnecessary.
2. Lowering the standard for what a reasonable employer would be expected to do when dismissing or disciplining staff. The change from the word ‘would' to ‘could' greatly expands the range of circumstances where a dismissal is deemed to be justified.
3. Allowing people to be dismissed with an unfair process that may not give them a proper opportunity to explain or defend themselves.
4. Creating barriers to stop employees from having contact with a union when they want to do so.
5. Allowing employers greater scope to interfere with and disrupt collective bargaining negotiations by bypassing elected union representatives.
6. Allowing mediation where an employee doesn't have a support person.
7. Taking the focus away from getting someone's job back when it is found they have been unfairly dismissed.

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I wish to make an oral submission locally:           Yes___   No___

Please hear my oral submission in:.........................................................................

Kind regards

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