September 02, 2013
Bad start for 90 day employment rule
A Maori trade unionist days the 90 day rule has blemished the records and work prospects of more than 11,000 young people.
That’s the number of workers who have been sacked without explanation since the probationary period was brought in to employment law two years ago.
Syd Keepa, the vice president Maori of the Council of Trade Unions, says the law was brought in with the justification it would give job opportunities for those who would otherwise miss out.
He says the fact is it making it even harder for people to get off the dole queue.
"There is going to be no way that those people who have been dismissed on something like their 89th day are going to get employment elsewhere. This is a bad start, particularly for Maori, 27 percent of our youth is unemployed, and it’s not a good start when you go into a job and for any reason, if the boss doesn’t like the look of you, he can sack you, so how fair is that?" he says.
Mr Keepa says it’s not good for society when people are told that as a condition of getting work they have no rights.
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