Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 227/07
Hearing date 1 Aug 2007
Determination date 01 August 2007
Member R A Monaghan
Representation R Wallis v R Towner
Location Auckland
Parties Tobin & Anor v Stayinfront Inc. & Ors
Other Parties Skinner ; Great Elk Company Inc., Stayinfront (Asia Pacific) Ltd formerly The Great Elk Company Ltd, Splashnet Inc.
Summary PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Application for removal to Employment Court - Authority previously concluded claims covered by final and binding settlements - Employment Court, and Court of Appeal, restricted challenge to this preliminary question - Applicants subsequently sought removal of matter to Employment Court - Primary focus of argument was that merits of grievances overlapped with issue of whether final and binding settlements reached - However, applicants had not raised personal grievances for two years - Respondent argued no matter involving applicants currently before Authority capable of being removed to Court - Applicants argued express or implied waiver by respondent of any reliance on s114 Employment Relations Act 2000 - Alternatively argued procedural estoppel prevented them raising point now - Need to apply for leave to raise grievance pointed out to applicants' previous advocate - No waiver or estoppel regarding requirement that leave to raise grievances be sought and granted - Leave not sought or granted - No grievances properly before Authority and nothing to remove to Court - Also, no application for leave filed in Court - Could not be said Court had before it proceedings between same parties as no grievance properly before any institution - Court in Abernethy v Dynea New Zealand Limited (cited below) expressly distinguished present case - Application for removal declined
Result Application dismissed ; Costs reserved
Main Category Practice & Procedure
Statutes ERA s114;ERA s114(3);ERA s178(1);ERA s178(2);ERA s178(2)(c);ERA s178(2)(d);ERA s179
Cases Cited Abernethy v Dynea New Zealand Limited [2007] ERNZ 271;Skinner v Stayinfront Inc unreported, Shaw J, 8 December 2006, AC 70/06;Skinner v Stayinfront Inc [2007] NZCA 154
Number of Pages 4
PDF File Link: aa 227_07.pdf [pdf 25 KB]