Nueva Zelandia - Expensive legal actions over employment issues including union access (2012)

In 2010 and 2011, unions succeeded in nine law suits taken to the Employment Relation Authority and Employment Court against food companies: Talley’s Group Ltd, AFFCO Ltd, and Open Country Dairy Ltd over employment issues including union access. Talley’s Group have acquired majority ownership shares in AFFCO Ltd and in Open Country Dairy in recent years. Only one of the cases resulted in a fine being imposed for breach of good faith. In other cases, the employer was ordered to comply with legislation such as enabling union representatives to have access to the worksite. The Meat Workers’ Union spent over NZD100,000 in litigation costs on disputes at one worksite. It was successful in Court but was only awarded a portion of this sum to cover costs.

It can take years and applications to three different judicial bodies for unions to get a final determination when employers are hostile to unions and well-resourced. In 2011, the Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU) and the Public Service Association (PSA) finally gained a pay-out for night duty residential care workers who had been paid below minimum wage for many years. After three years of legal action and years of negotiations the government mediated a law change for a partial pay-out that gave years of back-pay to the workers, but not the full amount that was owed. The cost of taking legal action is a drain on unions.

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