PSA media release 24 September 2001

Lack Of Union Registration 'Just A Hitch'

"The PSA’s registration as a union has come under question as a result of a Court of Appeal decision, but the PSA believes it can be resolved quickly," says PSA National Secretary Lynn Middleton.

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Registrar of Unions had no right to register unions prior to the enactment of the Employment Relations Act 2000. The Registrar of Unions called for unions to send in applications to be registered early so that they would be registered when the legislation came into force. The PSA and 19 other unions were registered early as a result.

Lynn Middleton said that the Court of Appeal was deciding a case that did not involve the PSA but it has brought the PSA registration into question.

“The decision may mean that the PSA is currently not a registered union for the purposes of the ERA. It does not mean that the PSA is not a union or cannot operate as a union in all other respects, “she said.

The PSA and the CTU are currently reviewing options to see how the situation can be remedied as soon as possible.

“The PSA sees the issue as a legal technicality that may be resolved in a number of ways and quickly, “ said Lynn Middleton.

ENDS

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