Govt to extend 90-day trial - report

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government has announced plans to extend the 90 Day Trial scheme to incorporate more workplaces, reports TVNZ.

Under the scheme, dismissed workers employed for less than three months cannot file a personal grievance against their employer.

It currently only applies to employers with 20 or less staff.

However, TVNZ reported that the Government is considering extending the trial programme to include businesses employing up to 50 workers.

John Key met with business leaders to make the announcement today and told One News that the Government could make the legislation apply to all workplaces, regardless of their size.

The Prime Minister said the current scheme had been extremely successful.

"The results of that have been stunning, it has ensured that a lot more New Zealanders have the opportunity to engage in work," he told One News.

But union leaders were alarmed by the proposed changes.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly told One News the move could disadvantage young people in their first job, as they could be dismissed without being given the chance to improve.

Both Labour and the Greens have also slammed the Government's proposal.

Labour leader Phil Goff said the move was an "attack on workers".

"The move to extend National's 90 day 'fire at will' law to all companies is absolutely unnecessary and is an attack on workers when unemployment is already high," Mr Goff said.

"There's enough power in existing law for bosses to get rid of workers who are not up to it. This is not needed."

Green Party industrial relations spokesman Keith Locke said the proposal was a "clear breach of National's 2008 industrial relations pre-election policy".

"Workers' hopes of bargaining for better pay and conditions will also be threatened by the Key Government's plan to require employer consent to unions before they may enter workplaces," said Mr Locke.

"This action can only benefit employers who want to keep unions out and will impact negatively on workers' abilities to negotiate for better pay rates and conditions."

- NZ Herald staff