There are fears changes to employment law may make working conditions harder for Pacific workers.
This comes as the government has clarified the main criteria for what makes a contractor versus an employee.
Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff says the changes don't leave room for workers to negotiate their status, which could be taken advantage of.
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Khalia StrongThu, 05 Sep
“You particularly need to think of how vulnerable people are when they go for a job; English may not even be your first language, you're told to sign here on the contract.
“You may be signing something that really is unlawful and improper, but the suggestion is that you're not able to challenge that is bad policy, which just fundamentally seems quite wrong.
The criteria for proposed legislation include a written agreement specifying they are an independent contractor, and the business cannot dictate when the worker must be available or stop them from taking on other work outside of their agreed contract.
Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Wagstaff said the test moves the goalpost towards business interests and away from basic rights, which may have a worse impact on Pacific workers.
“If you're an employee, you are entitled to minimums, minimum wages, holidays, sick leave, and so on. If you're a contractor, you have no minimums.
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