CTU MEDIA RELEASE

24 September 2006

Attack on Grievance Processes Highlights Management Weakness in NZ Businesses

“The attack by business organisations on our personal grievance processes in employment law highlights serious weaknesses in basic management skills in New Zealand business,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

“Business organisations are failing to provide necessary leadership when they attack employee rights instead of addressing the lack of basic skills in legal personal grievance processes, which have been in place for more than 30 years.”

“The attempt to portray employers as the victims of an unfair system is pathetic. Only 0.1% of employees take an employment problem to the Employment Relations Authority.”

“When employers complain about the focus being too heavily weighted on the process, they are complaining about the fundamental right of natural justice – the right to be heard and put your case.”

“Of course there will be cases where an employer feels dissatisfied with the outcome,” Ross Wilson said. “That is the case in any judicial or dispute resolution process.”

“Spare a thought for the worker who has been subjected to unfair dismissal, discrimination, or sexual harassment,” he said. “Even if they are represented and supported by their union it can still be a traumatic process for monetary awards the Employment Court Chief Judge has acknowledged are inadequate.”

“It is no solution for employers to campaign for workers’ rights to be taken away as National’s bill removing employment rights for 90 days would have done.”

“Employers and workers all have the right to join business organisations and unions to ensure that they have experienced advice and representation in the event that they are involved in these basic legal processes.”

Ends.

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