Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden's Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill has passed its first reading. This Bill is the most significant reform to New Zealand's workplace health and safety system in a decade, and it's a huge step in the wrong direction.
Every worker should come home healthy and safe at the end of the day. If it passes, this Bill will put working people in harm's way.
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi has put together this guide for submissions. This Bill was written without input from workers-but we will make our voices heard. Submissions close 18 March.
Start your submission with your stance
e.g., "I oppose the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill."
Why do you have this stance?
Tell the Select Committee why you oppose the amendments being made with this Bill. We recommend making this personal and putting it in your own words.
- Do you have concerns about the way this Bill lets small businesses off the hook from most Health and Safety obligations?
- Are you a worker in a small business who will be put at risk by this Bill?
- Do you have concerns about the lack of worker consultation that went into this Bill?
- Do you face emotional or psychosocial harm at work?
- Have you or a loved one ever been injured at work?
- Why do you value good health and safety at your workplace?
Make your recommendation
You can recommend changes to the Bill, or you can recommend it not be passed at all. We recommend abandoning the Bill. Be clear and specific in your answer:
- e.g., I recommend that the Select Committee abandon this Bill.", or
- "I'd like to make the recommendation that the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill be thrown out".
If you're recommending changes to the Bill, think about what changes you think would actually benefit health and safety practice.
Other things to keep in mind
- Keep it personal. Really making your submission your own will mean that the Committee gets to hear the full range of workers' voices on this Bill..
- Keep it relevant. It might be tempting to get into a full list of this Government's attacks on workers… but this Select Committee is specifically on the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill. Your submission should reflect that.
- Keep it respectful. Leave out any personal attacks on political parties or MPs-these could lead to your submission being left out. Don't include any offensive language.
When you're ready to make your submission, go to the Parliament website here.
