NCW is concerned about the increase in non-standard work in the private sector. Collective agreements about contracts of these new forms of flexibility need to be backed by legal certainty and security for employers and employees to ensure fair competition and proper protection of workers in an employment relationship.

Government needs to ensure that working conditions in the revision of collective agreements for employees on definite contracts do not sacrifice workers' rights, ensuring a balance between flexibility and security, in particular in gender-related situations that should also be guaranteed in individual employment contracts.

Consultation with workers' representatives is crucial to ensure that measures on flexible work arrangements, entitlement to leave and entitlement to sick leave in gender-related situations are not discriminatory. Recent comments in the media about, among other issues, sick leave during pregnancy are very worrying.

While recognising the need to take effective measures to curb abuse, such measures should not penalise female employees who genuinely need to make use of their entitlement to sick leave.

Industrial relations legislation needs to be amended to define the meaning of 'worker' and 'employee' according to today's employer-worker different working relationships.

Dismissal of pregnant women during the probation period also needs to addressed.

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