Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 177/06
Hearing date 22 Mar 2006
Determination date 19 May 2006
Member J Scott
Representation J Forret ; S Hornsby-Geluk
Location Auckland
Parties Foote v Transpower New Zealand Ltd
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - UNJUSTIFIED DISADVANTAGE - Redundancy - Proposal emerged for respondent to establish a Northern Field Services Office in Auckland - That had implications for relocation of staff from Hamilton to Auckland - Applicant was among affected staff - Applicant alleged redundancy not genuine, was not treated fairly in process, and was underpaid redundancy entitlement - Credibility finding in favour of respondent's witnesses - Respondent's conduct entirely consistent with best practice principles - Respondent consulted exhaustively with staff - Respondent modelled good faith behaviours - Genuine redundancy - Applicant treated fairly in process - Respondent actively looked for positions within company for which applicant had necessary skills - Applicant did not apply for those positions - No disparity of treatment - Whether severance compensation correctly paid - Interpretation of agreement - Severance entitlements correctly calculated and paid in full - Length of service 36 years - Order made prohibiting reference to name or identity or information that could lead to identification of any person whose severance payments had been identified or described in evidence in investigation and details of those payments
Result Application dismissed ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s103A
Cases Cited Aoraki Corporation Ltd v McGavin [1998] 1 ERNZ 601;Cammish v Parliamentary Services [1996] 1 ERNZ 404;Communication & Energy Workers Union Inc v Telecom NZ Ltd [1993] 2 ERNZ 429;Goston v New Zealand Railways Corporation unreported, Goddard CJ, 3 May 1996, WEC 24/96;GN Hale & Sons Ltd v Wellington etc Caretakers etc IUOW [1990] 2 NZILR 1079; (1990) ERNZ Sel Cas 843;NZ Fasteners Stainless Ltd v Thwaites [2000] 2 NZLR 565;Wisniewski v Rubicon Ltd unreported, RA Monaghan, 22 November 2002, AA 341/02
Number of Pages 14
PDF File Link: aa 177_06.pdf [pdf 75 KB]