Ruling Goes Further Than International Law

Tuesday, 11 February 2003, 8:35 am
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

Employment Court Ruling Goes Further Than International Law

“A very conservative decision which disregards the international law on
which the Employment Relations Act is based,” Council of Trade Unions
president Ross Wilson said today.

Ross Wilson was commenting on the Employment Court decision in N Z Dairy
Workers v N Z Milk Products (Fonterra) which struck down an agreed
arrangement between the employer and the union requiring non union members
to contribute to the cost of the wage increases and other benefits
negotiated on their behalf.

“It seems a fair principle that employees who benefit from the work of the
collective bargaining group should contribute to the costs of bargaining,”
Ross Wilson said.

“Such an agreement has been ruled to be entirely consistent with the
International Labour Conventions on which the Employment Relations Act is
based.”

Ross Wilson said union members were sick of free loaders who picked up the
benefits of the union’s bargaining work.

“But the Employment Court has identified some technical barriers to giving
full effect to the international law jurisprudence in New Zealand,” he said.

“More than 300,000 union members will be disappointed by the decision.”

© Scoop Media

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

Te Kauae Kaimahi

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi brings together over 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions. We are the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.

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