Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

E tū welcomes win for Tiwai smelter workers

28th April, 2016

Media Release

E tū welcomes multi-million dollar win for Tiwai smelter workers

The E tū union has welcomed a Court of Appeal ruling which brings to an end a four-year dispute over in-lieu payments for statutory holidays at the Tiwai Aluminium Smelters.

Hundreds of workers at the smelter are eligible for millions of dollars in leave and pay arrears in the wake of the ruling.

Since 1992, workers on 12 hour shifts have been paid in-lieu payments for Statutory Holidays of only 8 hours.

The union challenged the payments in November 2011, arguing workers should receive 12 hours pay, not eight.

The union took the case to mediation, and later to the Employment Relations Authority, which ruled in its favour. New Zealand Aluminium Smelters then appealed the ERA decision to the Employment Court, which also ruled in the union’s favour.

NZAS applied for leave to the Court of Appeal to appeal the Employment Court decision. It was granted the appeal, but their case was dismissed by the court. It then applied to the Supreme Court to appeal the Court of Appeal decision.

E tū scored its final victory after the Supreme Court declined the company leave for the smelter to appeal to the court.

The win is expected to benefit hundreds of workers who worked the 12 hour shifts. Those still working for the company will receive leave allocations of up to six months, though it is uncertain if they will be able to cash these up.

Workers who have left the company will be eligible for cash pay outs of their leave entitlements.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

E tū Organiser, Trevor Hobbs says he’s extremely pleased with the judgement.

He says the company has come to the end of the Appeal process and “there is nowhere else for them to go.

“All the way through, the company said we’re right and you’re wrong. Well, now it’s been proved that we were right and they were wrong.”

He says workers’ employment agreements forbid them talking to the media but he’s been receiving congratulatory emails and texts since the judgement was released last night.

ENDS


© Scoop Media

 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.