EMA In Accord With CTU On Employment Court Ruling

The Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) is blaming Labour Minister Margaret Wilson for the just-released Employment Court decision allowing the cross-examination of parties where conflicts of evidence arise.

"If the Minister of Labour had allowed the Bill of Rights to be considered when the Employment Relations Act was being drafted, this would never have happened," said Peter Tritt, EMA's Employment Services Manager.

"We agree 100 per cent with the CTU that the Employment Court's decision two days ago could ruin the Minister's objective of ensuring employment disputes can be resolved through a relatively non-legal process.

"We fully endorse the CTU's desire to keep lawyers out of the informal mediation and Employment Relations Authority procedures. This is necessary to keep costs down and ensure problems are speedily resolved.

"Our original submission on the Employment Relations Bill said this would occur. The Court's decision already starting to cause mayhem.

"The Minister should take immediate steps either to appeal the decision or amend the law."

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