28 Oct 2009

CTU unhappy about changes to law on work breaks

6:21 pm on 28 October 2009

Unions are critical of a bill for new rest and meal break legislation because it means employees would have to individually negotiate their breaks with employers.

The Council of Trade Unions says it could lead to employees missing out on breaks altogether because of a lack of bargaining power.

Since April, legislation passed under the previous Labour Government entitled employees to at least two 10-minute breaks and a half hour lunch break each day from April this year.

The Government says an Employment Relations Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament on Tuesday moves the legislative focus from prescription to flexibility.

The CTU says the bill gives all power back to the employer after it had been returned to employees.