ACT wants to speed up the ERA, National continues to target gangs, NZ First look to move Auckland's port north and a new political party championing the rights of animals could be up and running in time for October's election, as the 2023 election campaign trail continues to heat up.
The ACT Party plans to tweak the personal grievance process by making changes to the powers and deadlines of the Employment Relations Authority (ERA).
It said its workplace relations policy would make the process fairer and faster for all parties.
The ERA tribunal process attempts to resolve disputes between an employer and employee on a case-by-case basis, without the matter having to be escalated to the more formal Employment Court.
Legislation currently requires the ERA to deliver its determinations within three months of an investigation hearing concluding. But ACT's policy would force the ERA to deliver its decisions within a month, and it would fire ERA members who fail to meet the deadline.
ACT leader David Seymour said the current process was slow, costly and open to abuse.
"Waiting on an ERA decision is damaging for all parties involved. It stops both employers and employees being able to move on with their lives and creates massive uncertainty," he said.
ACT said the personal grievance process led to headaches for small businesses, which did not have the human resource advisors or legal teams larger organisations could afford.
ACT's policy would also prevent...
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