The NZCTU strongly opposes the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill. The proposed changes are regressive and actively weaken the systems in place to keep workers safe and healthy. The Bill will worsen health and safety outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The key issues with this bill include:
- The establishment of a two-tier health and safety system, with workers in small businesses provided lower levels of protection against health and safety hazards.
- De-prioritization of harmful and costly hazards that are not deemed to be “critical”
- Complex and unworkable carveouts that introduce confusion in the system.
- The changes are rushed and are based on ideology, not evidence.
This submission sets out the NZCTU’s concerns with these proposed changes.