Small Business Report Badly-Informed and Unfair

MEDIA RELEASE
25 August 2004

Small Business Report
Badly-Informed and Unfair

The Council of Trade Unions has reacted angrily to the Small Business Advisory Group proposals to make it easier to sack employees and to deprive newly-employed workers of personal grievance rights.

The SBAG Report to Government released today has recommended that the legal procedures for dismissing non-performing staff be “rebalanced” and qualifying periods for personal grievances for probationary staff be provided.

“This proposal would strip tens of thousands of workers every year of all legal redress against their employers for personal grievances,” said CTU president Ross Wilson.

“That would include situations where there has been sexual harassment or discrimination against the worker.”

It appeared that the Group was not aware that the Employment Relations Act (s67) already provided for a probationary period for new workers, he said.

“Personal grievance rights are fundamental legal rights and the CTU will fight to protect them for all workers.

“Vulnerable workers in a new employment situation need more protection, not less.”

Small Business Minister John Tamihere should move over to the ACT Party if he is supporting proposals which are so blatantly anti-worker, Ross Wilson said.

ENDS

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