Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Christchurch
Reference No CA 13/05
Hearing date 23 Nov 2004
Determination date 31 January 2005
Member J Crichton
Representation R Simes ; R Webster
Location Christchurch
Parties Hancock v Pascoe Transport Ltd
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Redundancy - Respondent told applicant was being made redundant - Whether redundancy genuine - Respondent alleged it had lost two client contracts - Applicant believed job secure because he carried very little product for those clients - Respondent alleged applicant selected because he was last person employed - Conceivable respondent could satisfy test that predominate reason for dismissal was redundancy - However less clear whether redundancy genuine given within a very short time after termination respondent was using temporary drivers and seeking to recruit a permanent driver - Decision to make applicant redundant was precipitate - Respondent reallocated applicant's duties without giving him opportunity to be involved - Lack of consultation fatal to procedural fairness - Remedies - Reimbursement of lost wages for three months less one month's wages already paid as redundancy compensation - Truck driver
Result Application granted ; Reimbursement of lost wages ($5,400) ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($7,000) ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s103(1)(a)
Cases Cited Coutts Cars Ltd v Baguley [2001] ERNZ 660 ; [2002] 2 NZLR 533;G N Hale & Son Ltd v Wellington etc Caretakers etc IUOW [1991] 1 NZLR 151;Phipps v NZ Fishing Industry Board [1996] 1 ERNZ 195;Rolls v Wellington Gas Co Ltd [1998] 3 ERNZ 116
Number of Pages 6
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