Zero hours contracts, which mean workers have to be available for work without being guaranteed any hours, will soon be banned.
After struggling to get the numbers it needed for its employment legislation, the Government now has near unanimous support for the law changes.
As part of the deal to get the Employment Standards Legislation Bill over the line, National and Labour struck a deal that means zero hours contracts will soon be a thing of the past.
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Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse told the House that getting the bill to a place where everyone could agree had been no mean feat.
Difficulties arose from getting the wording right and the fact that the term zero hours had no formal legal definition.
The Government yesterday said it would agree to support a Labour Party amendment which Labour said put in concrete that zero hours contracts would be banned.
Labour Party leader Andrew Little says New Zealand workers can now rest assured that they could not be compelled to turn up to work with no guaranteed hours.
The bill is currently before Parliament, but must be passed before 1 April so the extension to paid parental leave can take effect.
