Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Wellington
Reference No WA 77/04
Determination date 10 June 2004
Member P R Stapp
Representation G Ogilvie ; J McGuire
Location Wellington
Parties Smeaton v Capital City Joint Sealing Services Ltd
Summary COSTS - Costs for mediation - Application for investigation abandoned - Applicant failed to attend mediation but was represented - Respondent sought costs incurred of $1,134 - Public policy expectation that parties use mediation - Common practice that applicants need to file application to get employer to attend mediation - Inappropriate for Authority to consider what might have happened in mediation - As substantive application abandoned cost of respondent's counsel's time spent raising issue that applicant's matter vexatious could have been avoided - Filing of application could have been avoided had respondent chosen properly to respond to reasonable requests for information and attendance at mediation - No reason to depart from usual principle of not making order for costs in regard to mediation
Result Application dismissed
Cases Cited Okeby v Computer Associates NZ Ltd [1994] 1 ERNZ 613
Number of Pages 3
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