Phil Goff. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Phil Goff. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government is facing an outcry from unions and its opponents over plans to "ram through" a 90-day probation period for new workers before Christmas.

Prime Minister John Key today confirmed his plans to pass the controversial legislation - which will give businesses with fewer than 20 employees the right to instantly sack new staff - through all its stages before Christmas.

The surprise move to pass the law under urgency will mean the public and groups such as unions won't have an opportunity to make submissions on the bill.

The decision today prompted howls of outrage from Labour and the Greens which said it was undemocratic and arrogant.

Unions said the change, which gives bosses a 90-day grace period to dismiss new workers without exposing themselves to claims of unjustified dismissal, would strip about 100,000 workers at any one time of a basic employment right.

But Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson said the public had already had a chance to give its views when the legislation went before a select committee in the last Parliament in the form of a private member's bill introduced by National MP Wayne Mapp.

The bill was subsequently defeated.

Ms Wilkinson said the Government had taken several concerns on board and come up with a "gentler" bill.

Key changes included:

* barring employers from using the law to keep staff permanently casual by sacking them within 90 days then rehiring them;

* removing the benefit stand down period for those "let go" after the 90-day period;

* making mediation available for employers and staff who experience problems;

* making it clearer that workers will still have the right to lodge personal grievance claims on the basis of sexual harassment or discrimination.

The bill was not on the list of legislation National said it would pass in its first 100 days in government.

Mr Key said it had campaigned hard on the issue and it was important to get the "growth enhancing" move in place, when New Zealand was facing job losses.

"This will assist the small to medium to medium enterprise sector to take on employees and to take them on rapidly," Mr Key said.