Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Wellington
Reference No WA 67/10
Hearing date 14 Apr 2010
Determination date 14 April 2010
Member D Asher
Representation P Cranney, A Connor ; P McBride
Location Wellington
Parties Service & Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota Inc v IHC and Ors
Other Parties Idea Services Ltd, Timata Hou Ltd
Summary BARGAINING - Application for facilitation - Applicant sought matter be referred to facilitation - Applicant had given notice of strike action - Applicant claimed strike would likely affect public interest substantially, and likely endanger life, safety, or health of persons - Claimed strike likely to disrupt social, environmental or economic interests and effects likely to be widespread, long-term or irreversible - Respondents claimed grounds for facilitation not made out - Claimed parties had not encountered serious difficulties in concluding collective agreement - Claimed no evidence proposed strike action likely to have affects claimed by applicants - Claimed as charitable organisations were substantially dependent on restricted Government funding to meet wage increases - Applicant’s proposed strike action included ban on recording progress notes for clients, many of whom had criminal records and were supervised in secure facilities - Found public interest arose out of maintenance of records which would be compromised by strike action - Found given applicant’s commitment to strike action and real restriction on respondents funding parties’ problem would inevitably impact on public interest because of likelihood of endangerment to life, safety or health of persons - Found strike likely to affect public interest substantially because likely to disrupt social interests and effects of disruption likely to be widespread and long-term - Found risk to public outweighed arguable conclusion negotiations not unduly protracted and that extensive efforts not been made to reach settlement - Grounds for facilitation made out - Facilitation ordered
Result Application granted ; Orders accordingly ; Costs reserved
Main Category Bargaining
Statutes ERA s50A;ERA s50B;ERA s50C(1)(d);ERA s50C(1)(d)(ii);ERA s50C(2)(a);ERA s50C(2)(b)
Cases Cited McCain Foods (NZ) Ltd v Service & Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota Inc [2009] ERNZ 28;Timata Hou Ltd v Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota Inc & Anor [2010] NZEMPC 38
Number of Pages 7
PDF File Link: wa 67_10.pdf [pdf 27 KB]