Employment Relations Amendment Bill
The Employment Relations Amendment Bill passed its first reading on 5 June 2013 and has been referred to the select committee; the committee will report back by 5 December 2013.
The Bill amends the Employment Relations Act 2000 to make changes in the following areas:
- Collective bargaining, including removing the requirement to conclude a collective agreement. It introduces an ability for employers to reduce employees’ pay in response to partial strikes
- Flexible working arrangements, to extend the right to make a request to all employees
- Part 6A of the Act, in particular, introduces an exemption from certain requirements for small to medium enterprises
- Good faith, to clarify the requirements for disclosure of information
- Rest break and meal break provisions, to allow for flexibility, including compensatory measures where there is a failure to provide a break, and
- The Employment Relations Authority to set time frames for release of determinations.
We’ll report on the progress of this legislation through the House.