CTU MEDIA RELEASE 18 December 2006

Not a surprise that personal grievances being settled outside of formal processes - CTU

"From our own experience we would expect a significant number of personal grievances to be resolved at the workplace level, so it comes as no surprise that this is what EMA Northern have found in their survey," CTU president Ross Wilson said today.

"The mediation service is a success of the 2000 Employment Relations Act, but high lawyer's fees for court hearings are a barrier for many workers not in unions, and the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court compensation awards are much lower than other courts."

"In many cases the compensation workers will receive through a personal grievance is minimal - and does not go far enough to rectify the loss of security their employment provided if they are unfairly dismissed."

"EMA Northern's ongoing campaign to undermine the rights of workers to raise a personal grievance lacks credibility, and there is a sense of crying wolf too often here," Ross Wilson said.

ENDS

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