Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 165/06
Hearing date 28 Apr 2006
Determination date 10 May 2006
Member V Campbell
Representation M Keall ; M Robins
Location Auckland
Parties De Witte v AGR Matthey (NZ) Ltd
Summary JURISDICTION - Whether independent contractor or employee - Applicant sold moulds, patterns, goodwill, plant and machinery to respondent - Applicant alleged he then entered into three year fixed term employment agreement - Respondent denied applicant was employee and alleged he signed a commercial agreement - No terms or conditions either express or which could be implied through conduct of relationship that would be indicative of employment relationship - Intention of both parties to have independent contractor relationship - Respondent did not impose any control on how, when or where applicant provided his services - Applicant's expertise and design making was integral to business of respondent but that was not determinative of matter - Applicant provided GST invoices for payment, described himself as a Consultant, and told Manager a supplier had wrongly attributed respondent's name to applicant - Facts indicative of applicant being independent contractor - Industry practice - Common ground that within jewellery manufacturing business was common to employ staff rather than independent contractors - Real relationship that of contract for service - No jurisdiction
Result Application dismissed ; No order for costs
Statutes ERA s6
Cases Cited Bryson v Three Foot Six Limited [2003] 1 ERNZ 581;Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd and Ors [2005] 1 ERNZ 372 ; [2005] 3 NZLR 721;Curlew v Harvey Norman Stores (NZ) Pty Ltd [2002] 1 ERNZ 114;Koia v Carlyon Holdings Ltd [2001] ERNZ 585
Number of Pages 6
PDF File Link: aa 165_06.pdf [pdf 28 KB]