National's new teabreak law isn't even in force and employers are already abusing it:
Yesterday a union member, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, emailed Hotel Organiser Shanna Reeder.
“This morning in the briefing our manager declared that its now her right to decide when we take our breaks, and that since it was a busy day no one could have one until 3pm. Everyone started at 8am, and were due to finish at 3:30pm or 4pm.”
The new law actually will only come into effect in March 2015, however it seems this misinformed employer has jumped at the opportunity to stop workers having their breaks.
[The employer should have been named. If the law will no longer constrain bad employers, then we'll just have to use public pressure and boycotts instead].
National passed this law, so they get to own it. Every bad and abusive employer who behaves like this can be laid directly at the Minister's door. And hopefully the opposition will take the opportunity to ask him about every incident in Parliament.
