Submission to Employment Relations Amendment Bill

The Salvation Army supports in principle the majority of this Bill, specifically the aspects of;

1.1 Introducing greater fairness in the workplace between employees and employers, in order to promote productive employment relationships, and;
1.2 Improving the standards and protections for employees and strengthening the relationships between unions, employees and employers.

However, there are specific provisions in the Bill that we are opposed to, particularly as they relate to our role as an employer. The Salvation Army employs almost 2,000 staff, has approximately 1,500 volunteers and 400 officers across New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.