The Individual and the Employment Relations Act

Union density in New Zealand at the time of the enactment of the Employment Relations Act 2000 was estimated at 17 per cent meaning that collective bargaining was of marginal importance to the bulk of employees. For this reason it is necessary to reconsider the approach to employment law and in particular the extent to which statutory labour law should evolve to reflect the reality of modern employment relationships. This article considers the implications of the ERA from the perspective of the individual non-unionised employee working in an unorganised workplace and asks what the reforms achieved for such employees.