Gloriavale leaders seek appeal of employment ruling - report

Leaders of the Gloriavale Christian Community are heading to court to appeal a ruling that recognised six of its female volunteers as employees, according to reports.

Stuff reported that leaders of the community have gone to New Zealand's Appeal Court to seek leave to appeal the Employment Court's decision, which also ruled the women were "not excluded from the gateway to minimum entitlements and protections on this basis."

Leaders of the community previously expressed their intention to appeal the decision, which they slammed as "wrong."

"The decision has significant and wide-ranging implications beyond just our community. This includes how New Zealand faith-based communities, iwi and whanau choose to live and structure their household responsibilities," the leaders said.

Gloriavale's appeal

In its claim, the Gloriavale leaders said they were not given a fair hearing in the case, adding that the court misdirected itself on the meaning of employee, Stuff reported.

The leaders also accused the judge of "failing to recuse herself, in circumstances that gave rise to a risk of apparent bias."

They reiterated that the Labour Inspectorate who investigated the community twice concluded that the members were not employees, and the most employment matters were heard first at the Employment Relations Authority before going to the Employment Court.

Brian Henry, the women's lawyer, acknowledged the Gloriavale leaders' right to seek leave to appeal, Stuff reported.

"We will work through the process and I will be seeking an early hearing because it has huge ramifications for a lot of people, particularly the young girls inside Gloriavale," Henry told Stuff.