Tens of thousands of Kiwi workers sacked
Government research conducted by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) shows more than 20,000 Kiwi workers have been sacked while on trial periods – a 49 per cent increase in three years.
"This research shows us that people who are employed on trial periods are being increasingly treated as disposable,” CTU President, Richard Wagstaff said. “Working people need fairer laws to protect them from this type of employment practice. The Government needs to act to ensure that working Kiwis are being treated fairly and removing trial periods from the law would ensure that employers were not able to treat working people as being a disposable resource." The MBIE research showed 80,070 employers used trial periods during the year, but Wagstaff suspected many more Kiwi workers were on trial. The research showed that 20,300 employers dismissed an employee during or at the end of the trial period: “But once again we suspect many more Kiwi workers have been sacked by their employers,” Wagstaff said. The figures are up from 2014 and 15 when the figures were 57,600 and 13,600 respectively. "Trial periods are unfair and unnecessarily. We need to make our employment laws fairer for all Kiwis - removing trial periods from law is urgently needed," Wagstaff said.
After May 6, only businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be able to use the 90-day trial period.
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What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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85.1% Yes
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13.8% No
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1% Other - I'll share below
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