90 day right to sack powers rammed through Parliament

Unions vow to fight 90-day work law
Unions are vowing to continue the fight against an employment law change passed by Parliament last night. The 90-day trial period for new employees has been extended to all businesses.

This hard right economic policy as social policy attack on workers rights has been rammed through Parliament against the wishes of the Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson. This counter productive attack on workers rights was spawned by that Political hypocrisy - ACT, so let's not pretend this is moderate economic policy.

Women are more at risk under these powers and the Department of Labour itself contradicted the Government's claim that the 90 day right to sack would create jobs and help workers at the margins...

Report on 90-day trials at odds with Govt line
Two of the main benefits hailed by the Government for the 90-day trial for newly hired workers - creating jobs and helping workers at the margins - have been challenged in the same report that has been cited as evidence that the scheme should be extended.

...I like this bit the most...

the Department of Labour report released last week said there was no evidence a probationary period did this."The ability to use trial periods appeared to have encouraged 40 per cent of employers who had hired someone to do so, however without any counterfactual evidence it cannot be stated categorically that trial periods had created extra job opportunities," the report said.

Giving the boss the right to sack will kill off anyone leaving their job for a new job because in an unemployment environment as hostile as the current one and with such an uncertain global economic outlook, no one is going to risk what they currently have for a position they may get fired from for no reason whatsoever. Rat bosses will abuse the vulnerability caused by high unemployment and this right to sack can easily cross the floor and dance with it’s ugly cousin, exploitation.

That the trial was able to sack one in 5 NZers and the number of new workers is 400 000 per year, then this scheme will actually sack 80 000 NZers per year.

This declaration of war on the workers by National is aimed at raising funds from the Auckland Business Mafia who bankrolled the last election and want to see some right wing flag waving and nothing boosts the war chest through anonymous donations into the Waitamata Trust than some old fashioned class war union bashing.

If you are not angry, you are not paying attention.