Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson today again defended changes allowing employees to trade their fourth week of annual leave for cash, saying there were a number of protections.The Government angered unions when it announced recently intended to extend to al
Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson today again defended changes allowing employees to trade their fourth week of annual leave for cash, saying there were a number of protections.
The Government angered unions when it announced recently intended to extend to all firms the 90-day trial period for new workers, and make changes to how the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) operates including less strict processes to sack someone.
The changes would also require permission for union access to work places; allow workers to trade in one of four annual leave weeks for cash and transfer public holidays; and also require workers to provide proof of illness when they take sick days.
In Parliament today Ms Wilkinson said trading the fourth week of holidays for cash could not be discussed when an employee began their employment and could not form part of an employment agreement.
Only employees could initiate a request and if an employer pressured a worker to cash in leave they would have give an employee further leave and not take the money back.
"Employees have been telling us that they would like more choice, they are keen to exchange some of their holidays for extra cash," Ms Wilkinson said.
"The Government has been careful to ensure that the decision is freely arrived at by the worker, that the worker is not pressured to do it, and that there are adequate safeguards."
The tradeability of the fourth week's leave was one of the issues raised in Labour MP Chris Carter's anonymous letter to the media in which he questioned Labour leader Phil Goff's ability to lead the party to victory in the next election.
