Supreme Court Declines to Hear Terranova Appeal

Today, the Supreme Court decided not to accept an appeal by the New Zealand Aged Care Association in the case of Kristine Bartlett vs. Terranova Homes and Care Ltd. The decision is based on a view that the matter before them was an interlocutory matter and not a final outcome in the case. The Supreme Court would consider an appeal in future, once the full case has been heard by the Employment Court and the Court of Appeal.

This means in 2015 the Employment Court will be doing something for the first time - setting principles to decide on how to establish pay equity claims across employment sectors.

“This will be ground-breaking law setting. It has not been done anywhere in the world. It also has the potential to impact on every workplace in New Zealand, and will lay the framework for pay equity claims for all workplaces.”

“For the aged care sector it is a big concern. The majority of the sector is standalone SMEs or not-for-profit providers, and they will not be able to survive if caregiver wages increase by 15 per cent without a supporting increase in government funding.”

ENDS.

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