Unions warned with ERA finding

Warnings for Union in Employment Relations Authority Determination – Mana Coach Services and NZ Tramways Union

The Tramways Union had ‘lost the trust’ of Mana Coach Services as a result of an ongoing union campaign to publicise historical grievances which had been previously dealt with in mediation, according to a determination of the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington released last night.

Mana Coach Services’ claim was that a series of articles published in union newsletters were in breach of a meditated record of settlement in which both parties had agreed to retain confidentiality around the events heard in the mediation process.

Finally the authority asked whether the union’s members’ interests were well served by the publication of historical grievances and warned that unless the relationship between the two parties was improved that the tramways union members would be ‘likely casualties’.

Mana Coach Services Chief Executive, Geoff Norman, said he hoped the findings would put a halt to the guerrilla-like attacks by the tramways union on the company in random publications, and perhaps give union members a good reason to reconsider the actions supposedly undertaken on their behalf.

“Clearly the Authority recognised that union generated publicity was not doing its members any favours, and in fact, it warned that the actions are harming the interests of those members.

“Mana Coach Services went into the initial mediation process in good faith, and complied with the confidentiality agreement reached between the mediation service, the union and ourselves. We are keen to ensure good relationships between all our staff and management.

“Mana Coach Services has a dedicated, hardworking multi-cultural workforce. The substantial majority of the team just want to get on and do their work, and in doing so, support their families and pay their way in life.

“It is in everyone’s interests for these issues to be put behind us and for all in the company to get on with providing an excellent bus and coach service. Re-litigating the past and attempts to recreate the industrial relations environment of the 1970s are a sad waste of effort and time. If the tramways union has issues with the company, they only need to contact me,” Mr Norman concluded.

ENDS

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