Media statement Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006
Government bulldozing through unworkable employment laws
Parliament's Select Committee has ignored business pleas to make sure the bungle over vulnerable employees in the 2004
Employment Relations Act will work this time, says David Lowe, Employment Services Manager for the Northern Employers
and Manufacturers Association (Northern).
"The Select Committee is bulldozing through a law change that contains the same problems as the original law," Mr Lowe
said.
"Business tried to operate this law before the courts ruled its drafting had been bungled, and we told the Committee
what the problems were.
"By assuming business operates in a certain way the Bill is about to get it all horribly wrong again. Employers are
wondering why the Government is making the same mistake twice knowing the problems they will create especially for
smaller businesses.
"It is naïve to assume businesses will volunteer commercially sensitive information to their competitors, on such as
rosters.
"Government is assuming a business losing part of its income to someone else will also give that person a cheque to
cover the cost of sick leave of staff who transfer to the new employer.
"The sick leave may never be taken but the new business would get to keep the money anyway.
"It is wrong to push through a law that creates more problems than it solves, irrespective of whether you agree with its
purpose."
ENDS