Changes to leave and pay
Changes amount to broken promise, Labour says
The Labour Party says the proposed changes to worker entitlements amounts to a broken election promise from Christopher Luxon, who had, in the words of the party's workplace relations and safety spokesperson Jan Tinetti, "turned his back on people working part-time by breaking his promise not to cut sick leave”.
“No one should be forced to work while sick or lose income because they are unwell," Tinetti said.
“The Government will argue they are making sensible changes, but their plan puts people at risk. It doesn’t reflect the reality of getting sick - people don’t fall ill on a pro-rated schedule depending on how many hours they work.
“If someone starts a job and gets sick, they should be able to take leave to recover. It’s as simple as that. Cutting sick leave for people working part-time will impact women and mothers the most.
We also need to be clear about the impact these changes will have on different professions, especially those who have no choice over how much they work. New nursing graduates, for example, are only being offered part-time contracts, leaving them with fewer hours to work and reduced access to sick leave.
The prime ,inister has cut jobs and overseen rising unemployment and is now choosing to make life harder for those who work part-time. He is out of touch with working New Zealanders."
“No one should be forced to work while sick or lose income because they are unwell," Tinetti said.
“The Government will argue they are making sensible changes, but their plan puts people at risk. It doesn’t reflect the reality of getting sick - people don’t fall ill on a pro-rated schedule depending on how many hours they work.
“If someone starts a job and gets sick, they should be able to take leave to recover. It’s as simple as that. Cutting sick leave for people working part-time will impact women and mothers the most.
We also need to be clear about the impact these changes will have on different professions, especially those who have no choice over how much they work. New nursing graduates, for example, are only being offered part-time contracts, leaving them with fewer hours to work and reduced access to sick leave.
The prime ,inister has cut jobs and overseen rising unemployment and is now choosing to make life harder for those who work part-time. He is out of touch with working New Zealanders."
Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Jan Tinetti. ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF