A member's bill from National Party MP, Wayne Mapp, introducing a 90 day probationary period of employment for new workers has passed its first reading in Parliament.

The Bill has gone to Select Committee where workers will need to be making submissions about what a unfair piece of legislation it is and calling on MPs to stop it going any further.

The bill means that the first 90 days of new employment, workers would be on a probationary period and able to be dismissed for no reason.
Employees starting new jobs would have no job security or employment rights for the first 90 days of employment.
During the probationary period, workers would not be able to go to the Department of Labour's Mediation Service about any employment issue, nor raise a personal grievance or use any other dispute settlement process.
In 2004, nearly 300,000 New Zealand workers changed their job and most workers have about 6 jobs in a lifetime. Every worker who changes their job could be subject to a 90-day probationary period for each new job.

What you can do:

1. Contact one of these party leaders telling them you oppose the Employment Relations (Probationary Employment) Amendment Bill and that you want them to vote against it:

Tariana Turia, Pita Sharples, Don Brash, Peter Dunne and Winston Peters.

Their postal address is: Freepost Parliament, PO Box 18 888, Wellington and is free to send without a stamp.

Their emails are in this format: firstname.lastname@parliament.govt.nz for example:
winston.peters@parliament.govt.nz

The phone number for parliament is 04 471 9999. This will take you to reception. Then just ask for the person you wish to speak to.

2. The Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union (EPMU) is organising a massive rally in Wellington on 20 July to show public opposition to the bill. If you live in our near Wellington, we need you there to show Parliament that it should not remove workers rights during their first 90 days in a job. Contact your local Finsec Organiser to find out the details (phone 04 385 7723).