TVNZ should have complied with collective agreement, says negotiation specialist
External legal costs incurred by TVNZ have reached $275,000, according to reports, following the broadcaster's employment dispute with unions over its planned layoffs.
Stuff first reported the costs last week after they were released under the Official Information Act.
Michael Wood, E tū negotiation specialist, told the news outlet that TVNZ wouldn't need to spend a "very significant amount of money" if it had originally complied with its collective agreement.
According to Wood, 17 people who were supposed to be laid off by TVNZ have remained with the company following the court rulings.
E tū took TVNZ to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) in March alleging that it did not comply with their collective agreement's requirements on the consultation process.
It comes after the broadcaster confirmed that it would stop production for several shows and cut over 60 jobs as part of a restructuring in order to reduce $10 million in costs.
The ERA sided with E tū on the case, as well as the Employment Court after TVNZ raised the matter to them.
The Employment Court issued a compliance order giving TVNZ 20 working days to comply with the clause in the collective agreement.
TVNZ takes responsibility
TVNZ previously said it would work with the union on the compliance order.
According to Stuff's report, TVNZ's executive also extended apologies to union members for breaching the clause and said it accepts responsibility for the situation.
A spokesperson from the broadcaster told the news outlet that TVNZ raised the matter to the Employment Court as it believes their move was consistent with the collective agreement after several restructures were carried out in the past without complaints.
