Glossary
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Union
Organisations that advocate on the behalf of employees and negotiate with employers on collective employment agreements. Each industry and sector has their own union that represents a specific group of employees, so it is important to join one that covers the right type of work.
Employees are entitled to choose if they want to join a union or not, and an employer should not place pressure on an employee to join or not join a union.
To be registered as a union, the organisation must have at least 15 members and be an incorporated society.
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Unjustified Dismissal
When an employee is dismissed from their job in a harsh, unreasonable and unlawful way.
Depending on the circumstances, an employee may be able to claim their dismissal was unjustified if: 1) They feel the employer did not have a good reason to fire them or 2) The process was unfair and/or not done in accordance with the employment agreement.
All employees are entitled to ask for a written statement explaining the reason for the dismissal. An employer must provide the statement to the employee within 14 days of the request being made.