Wintringham Must Front with Legal Advice - Fast!

ACT Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide said today that State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham better have rock solid legal advise that PSA bounty payments to civil servants are lawful.

"Mr Wintringham has rushed to declare his support for the bounties.

"But it appears such bounties are unlawful. Section 9 of the Employment Relations Act (ERA) states clearly that you cannot give preference to an employee because of their union status. That is exactly what these payments do. Civil servants have been told that they will get the cash payments of $800 - and in some cases two days extra holiday - only if they join the PSA by a set date and start paying the PSA each week.

"The bounties also appear to amount to undue influence being exerted on non-union members to join the union - a breach of section 11 of the ERA.

"Neither Helen Clark nor her Ministers have fronted up to defend these payments. Instead we have the State Services Commissioner riding shotgun.

"The payments are wrong. They appear unlawful. My advice to Mr Wintringham is to front up fast with the legal opinion that he has relied upon to determine that these payments are lawful," Mr Hide said.

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