This sort of stuff has been happening here in New Zealand for a long time.One Government (National,who support business and farmers) abolished unions and brought in the ''Employment Contract Act''.A contract is agreed between employer and employee,is signed and binding.Suddenly people who couldn't afford not to take a job were not being paid extra for overtime or public holidays....they were given a ''day in lieu''.Labour (who support workers and small businesses) got back in and unions were reinstated,but with their teeth pulled....the Employment Contact Act remains.But now the unions work with the employee to make sure the contract doesn't disadvantage them too much.
Retail chains that have shops in malls have a manager and one full time worker,the rest are part time workers - always young girls on junior wages,working shifts just under full time hours.They get no holidays or holiday pay,work weekemds and public holidays for the same low rate and no ''day in lieu''.They love it.
The last contract I had an employee sign earlier this year before I got out of business had no overtime rate.He was a Fijian Indian on a work visa,he had to have a job or he was out of the country.Everyone has to look out for themselves....