The Service and Food Workers Union are appalled that the Chair of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee seems to be under the impression that the committee are only hearing submissions on the 90 day provision, and that other issues such as workers’ rights to access their union are not relevant.

According to SFWU National Secretary John Ryall, union members who were in attendance to hear the SFWU present on the planned changes to employment laws were shocked that the Chair of the Committee, National MP David Bennett seemed to think that the committee was only hearing contributions about the 90 day provision of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill.

“Cleaner Vaine Lavaka was told her comments about the vulnerable nature of employment in the cleaning industry and the importance of access to union organisers and difficulty when this was obstructed were irrelevant to the 90 day bill,” says John Ryall.

“He dismissed comments about the way in which cleaners’ hours are changed or cut at short notice as not being relevant, completely missing the point that it is exactly those sorts of issues which require urgent intervention and assistance from the union,” said John.

“This was particularly upsetting for members from Massey University to hear, since they recently had the experience of a new contractor cutting their hours and making them redundant.”

Forty workers today supported the Service and Food Workers Union as they gave oral evidence to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee in Auckland to discuss the proposed changes to employment laws.

ENDS

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