Western Bay Seafoods fined

Western Bay Seafoods has been fined for failing to provide individual employment agreements.

A Western Bay of Plenty company has been fined $3000 for not providing its staff with individual employment agreements.

Western Bay Seafoods was ordered to pay the fine in an Employment Relations Authority ruling last Thursday.

Authority member James Crichton determined the company failed to provide its employees with individual employment contracts in accordance with the law.

Western Bay Seafoods claimed all the employees made clear at the time they did not want written employment agreements, so they chose not to take any further steps.

However, the company acknowledged the approach was "wrong-headed and illegal".

After labour inspector Erin Spence filed a Statement of Problem in May, the company filed a Statement of Reply in June.

Ms Bennett then took part in a telephone conference which resulted in the parties agreeing to mediate in attempt to resolve matters.

Mediation took place in July, resulting in a complete agreement between the parties.

Mr Crichton said he commended the parties for the commonsense way in which they had dealt with the matter.

Western Bay Seafoods was fined $3000 for breaching section 65 of the Employment Relations Act plus a $71.56 filing fee to the labour inspector.