The Supreme Court has begun hearing arguments on whether it should uphold or overturn previous court rulings that four Uber drivers were entitled to be treated as employees of the firm, rather than as contractors. Hospital workers are pushing back against a trial to reduce the number of maternity beds in Wellington Hospital and use them for Emergency Department patients, saying it will affect patient care. The government is re-establishing the Health New Zealand governance board, putting current commissioner Lester Levy in charge.
Union coverage
- Workers First: Are Uber drivers contractors or employees? Case goes to Supreme Court
- NZNO: Fierce staff opposition erupts over maternity bed trial at Wellington Hospital (paywall)
- MERAS: MERAS on Wellington Hospital cutting beds in maternity unit
Employment
- Uber’s fight over employment status of drivers goes to Supreme Court
- Major restructure planned at MSD, affecting roles across key units (paywall)
Politics
- Health NZ board re-established by government
- Government to loosen rules for selling homes in trusts
- Capping rates rises would make things ‘worse not better’ – Chris Hipkins
- Government told after election it would have to quit fossil fuel group if new exploration started
- As it happened: First public hearings into New Zealand’s Covid-19 response begin
- Watch live: Unions, former MPs, lawyers speak at Regulatory Standards Bill hearings
- NZSIS renews warning of foreign interference risk in sister-city ties
Te Ao Māori
Economics
- Businesses warned as IRD cracks down
- TVNZ expects $49m ‘underlying loss’ next year after brief respite (paywall)
- Covid-19 Inquiry: Business leaders detail struggle with vaccine mandates and finances