Workplace law ‘a win’
Changes to the Government’s controversial workplace relations bill are a win for farm safety and biosecurity, Federated Farmers says.
The first version of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill would have allowed union representatives to enter workplaces without consent from employers.
In an amendment put forward by Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway ahead of the bill’s second reading in Parliament last week, that provision was removed.
However, officials will still be able to enter any workplace where they have a collective agreement established, or are bargaining for one.
Federated Farmers had opposed the open-access provision and welcomed its removal from the bill, calling it a ‘‘win for on-farm safety and biosecurity.’’
‘‘We were against what was proposed,’’ national dairy chairman Chris Lewis said. ‘‘Farms are big businesses and it’s dangerous to have people crawling over farms where the farmer manager and employees don’t know they’re there.’’
Unexpected visitors could also pose a threat to biosecurity and Lewis questioned whether that was a risk the Government would be willing to take, particularly as the fight to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis went on.
Since the cattle disease was identified in New Zealand in July 2017, 80 farms had been confirmed as infected, 47 of those had been cleared of stock, disinfected, fallowed and able to be restocked.
In a phased eradication costing $886 million, the Government will cull about 150,000 cattle in an attempt to rid the country of the disease. More than 47,000 animals have been culled so far.
As well as potential risks to safety and biosecurity, Lewis said farm work like milking cows and shearing sheep was time sensitive and it was not always appropriate or possible for farmers to allow work to stop so employees could speak to union workers.
‘‘While farms are workplaces they are also homes and it’s common courtesy to give a farmer a heads up before coming on the farm,’’ he said.
‘‘Although, we do agree that farmers – or any business owners – should not be able to unreasonably restrict access.’’
The amended bill also includes provisions to end 90-day trials for all employers with more than 20 staff and reintroduce the right to rest and meal breaks.
‘‘While farms are workplaces they are also homes and it’s common courtesy to give a farmer a heads up before coming on the farm.’’
Chris Lewis