Max Bradford
National Industrial Relations Spokesperson
Thursday 5 October 2000
Unions dominate Employment Relations Authority
Business can have no confidence in the Government taking a balanced view on the Employment Relations Act.
"This is shown by the appointments to the Employment Relations Authority announced by the Minister of Labour," National
Industrial Relations spokesperson Max Bradford said today.
"Of the thirteen members to the new Authority, seven have strong union or Labour Party backgrounds. Only two members
have employer backgrounds.
"Three are from the Public Service and one from a legal practice.
"In my term as Minister of Labour, and I know this to be true of other Ministers, we took great care to ensure a balance
of numbers and experience so there could never be an accusation of bias in such an important institution in the labour
market.
"Clearly the Government is determined to skew the legal system in favour of unions just like the Employment Relations
Act does.
"It is well known there has been substantial controversy over the appointments to the Employment Relations Authority.
"There are strong rumours of significant payouts to Employment Tribunal members, and direct Ministerial interference in
the normally politics free process of appointments to labour market institutions.
"These appointments, which are not subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, simply mean employers will have to be doubly
careful handling the relationship between themselves and their staff. The gross imbalance towards union representation
in the Authority carries with it the significant risk that they will not get proper and balanced justice through the
processes established under the ERA."
Ends
Appointee Background
Union or Labour Party Background:
Mr Alistair Dumbleton New Zealand Airline Pilots Assn legal advisor (Chief)
Mr Denis Alan Asher Public Service Association legal advisor, union delegate and advisor
Mr Philip Francis Cheyne Canterbury Hotel Workers Union legal officer.
Dr Dzintra Maija King Union organiser, first for the Northern Local Government Officers'
Union then from 1993 with the Public Service Association.
Mr Neville Barry Taylor NZ Electrical and Electronics Workers' Union - Organiser/Research Officer and later as
Assistant National Secretary. Worked for the NZ Harbour Workers' Union and the NZ Nurses' Association.
Ms Yvonne Sidney Oldfield Northern Hotel Workers Union legal office.
Ms Susan Carol Bathgate Chair, Complaints Review Tribunal
Employer Background
Mr Ralph Gardiner Senior Industrial Advocate for the Auckland Employers'
Association.
Mr Jim Wilson Health Sector Employer's representative
Other (incl Public Service)
Ms Julie Louisa Kemp Lawyer
Ms Rosemary Ann Monaghan Public Service Mr Paul Rodney Stapp Public Service
Mr Gregory (Greg) Jowatt Wood Public Service
Regards