The Green Party says proposed changes to the Employment Relations Act announced today by the Government will further undermine workers’ rights while pandering to big business.

“This cruel Bill will cut off our most vulnerable workers from the rights that belong to them,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety, Teanau Tuiono.

"Our economy has been built by our workers - supporting them means supporting ourselves. For generations, workers’ rights have been hard-won and should be protected as a cornerstone of a people-focused modern economy.

“Today, this Government has put forward a number of dangerous changes to the ERA, including redefining the roles of employees and contractors to allow gig economy companies like Uber to trample over the rights of their workers.

“The removal of automatic union membership on collective agreements will result in lower wages, and putting up barriers to raising personal grievances will entrench power imbalance and harm in our workplaces.

“All of this quite clearly plays directly into the hands of companies looking to cut corners and boost profit margins at the expense of our workers and communities.

“The Coalition has unapologetically pushed its anti-worker agenda this term - including gutting Pay Equity, scrapping fair pay agreements, reinstating 90-day trials, and introducing effective cuts to the minimum wage.

“A Green Government would undo the laundry list of attacks made by the current Government on the rights of workers,” says Teanau Tuiono.

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