Workplace relations bill softened

Labour’s flagship workplace relations bill has been delayed and union access provisions softened to keep NZ First on board.

The rights of employers to opt out of multi-employment collective agreements (MECA) has also been strengthened, with employers able to opt out if they have ‘‘reasonable grounds’’.

The changes to the bill appeared in an amendment put forward by Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway ahead of the bill’s second reading in Parliament this week.

It’s understood these changes were made after negotiations with NZ First, after the party expressed some discomfort in September when the bill emerged from select committee.

The bill is the Government’s flagship workplace relations policy. It includes provisions to end the 90-day trials for all employers with more than 20 staff, reintroduce the right of rest and meal breaks, and make life much easier for unions attempting to bargain with employers.

One of the main changes is to union access to workplaces. The first version of the bill had ended any need for union officials to get consent from employers to access workplaces – this has been quashed, although officials will still be able to enter any workplace where they have a collective agreement established, or are bargaining for one. This was one of the big bugbears of regional businesses which NZ First was looking to protect.

The bill’s enactment has also been somewhat delayed – instead of being enacted four months after the third reading (likely March next year) it will come into effect on May 6, 2019.

A small change has also been made to the rest and meal breaks, but this is more technical. The changes to the MECA opt-out were also more of a clarification than a backdown, as the Minister has long said that employers should be able to opt out if they had a good reason to.

Lees-Galloway and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed yesterday that all three parties of the coalition were on board with any changes made to the law.