Knowingly cruel, Govt makes Aotearoa a more precarious place for working people

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

Just days after axing Fair Pay Agreements, this Government is once again trampling over people’s working rights by making it possible for bosses to fire new staff without reason.

“Today National has made Aotearoa a more cruel and precarious place for thousands of working people,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for workplace relations and safety, Teanau Tuiono.

“Building a healthier, more prosperous and better future for Aotearoa means addressing the problem of low-paid and precarious employment.

“Over the last seven days, this Government has done the exact opposite on both.

“Insecure, low paid work can cause stress, anxiety, depression and exhaustion. I find it hard to explain why any government would trap people in these work situations.

“Imagine losing a loved one and knowing that asking for leave to spend time with family could lose you your job. Imagine worrying that getting sick or needing to be home to look after the kids could get you fired.

“There is no evidence to back what this government has done. Evidence released under the last National Government showed 90 day trials had no impact on the number of people hired for jobs.

“The only thing 90 day trials achieve is to make it cheaper and easier for employers to fire people – and that is what this is all about. The relish and speed with which this government has unwound people’s working rights is chilling.

“National, Act and New Zealand First know full well that they are sacrificing the wellbeing of working people on the altar of profit for the wealthy few – and the Greens will call them out every step of the way,” says Teanau Tuiono.

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