Worker Unanimously Reject Employer’s Offer

16 June 2005

Legal Aid Worker Unanimously Reject Employer’s Offer; Vote for Further Industrial Action

‘National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) members who work for the government body that grants legal aid have unanimously rejected their employer’s latest offer in collective bargaining’ said NUPE Organiser John Kerr.

‘After a year of negotiating he Legal Services Agency (LSA) offered what was essentially the same terms and conditions as staff who are on individual contracts, giving members no say in how their pay would be determined’, said John Kerr.

‘Members view this is as a “Clayton’s collective” and that gives them no incentive to agree to it’, said John Kerr.

‘In addition to unanimously rejecting the LSA’s proposal, members overwhelmingly voted to resume their campaign of industrial action. Unless we can resolve this impasse there will be return to the action that occurred in April and May’, said John Kerr.

‘NUPE has written to the LSA and asked that we talk to see if we can find a way forward’, said John Kerr.

‘NUPE represents legal aid staff in Wellington, Christchurch, Invercargill and Whangarei. Moreover, we represent all of the staff who process legal aid applications for the Waitangi Tribunal,’ said John Kerr.

ENDS

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