Businesses have been dealt a fresh blow from the Government this morning - with confirmation from the Prime Minister's
Office that it has only agreed to technical changes to the Employment Relations Bill, Opposition Industrial Relations
spokesperson Max Bradford said today.
"Small and medium-sized businesses across the country had been hoping the Government would actually listen and make
changes that will help them do business and create jobs.
"The Prime Minister's Office has publicly stomped on that hope by stating in today's Independent that 'there's been some
amendments on technical matters, but employers would have to be dreaming to ever think the Bill would be gutted'.
"Employers are in limbo waiting to find out what the law will actual look like until the select committee reports back
to Parliament.
"The signals are there that they can only expect superficial changes. We're looking at only eight clauses having any
change - with 256 remaining essentially the same.
"This is all against a back-drop of serious problems with business confidence, and strong signs of reluctance to take on
staff.
"The Government's so-called charm offensive to business is now totally meaningless."
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