Nor'West News: November 28, 2017

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday November 28 2017 3
News
Fast food worker wins lieu day battle
• By Emily O’Connell
A WOMAN has won a threeyear
battle with a fast food
company to ensure employees
across the country get their days
in lieu.
Wendy’s, which has 23 outlets
in New Zealand, including one
in Hereford St and in Hornby,
has breached two sections of the
Holidays Act 2003.
Wendy’s employee Rose
Williams went to the Ministry
of Business, Innovation and
Employment three years ago
with the lieu day issue after she
had been working at the Hornby
restaurant for a year.
Mrs Williams said Wendy’s
staff were not being given a lieu
day after working on a public
holiday. She told Nor’West News
it feels “pretty good” to win the
case.
Unite Union, of which
Mrs Williams is a delegate,
has estimated it would cost
Wendy’s $1.6 million to pay back
employees’ leiu days.
MBIE senior labour inspector
Kim Baldwin found Wendy’s
breached section 56 and 60 of
the Holidays Act.
Section 56 says an alternative
holiday must be provided to
an employee who works on a
RIGHTS: Rose Williams has won a three-year battle against
Wendy’s to give employees days in lieu when they work a
public holiday.
PHOTO: ANDREW KING
public holiday if that day would
otherwise have been a working
day for them.
Section 60 sets out how those
employees should be paid for the
alternative holiday.
Wendy’s has been ordered
to comply with the two
sections, conduct a review of its
restaurants and keep records of
staff contacted, rosters and leave.
It has been ordered to give
all past and present employees
from the Hornby and Dunedin
restaurants their alternative
holidays, or the equivalent
pay since the restaurants were
opened.
Wendy’s has also been ordered
to do the same for all other
restaurants across the country
backdated to July 1, 2012.
Unite Union national secretary
Gerard Hehir said it was “very
happy” with the result.
“We think it has significance
beyond our dispute with
Wendy’s actually,” he said.
Mr Hehir said it’s hard to
establish what would be a
person’s normal working day
in hospitality because of their
variable shift work.
“The problem we have with
Wendy’s is they said no-one was
entitled to one [an alternative
holiday] at all, because hours
changed occasionally,” Mr Hehir
said.
He admired how tenacious
Mrs Williams was throughout
the trial. Mrs Williams left a job
at Countdown to raise her son
Josh after her husband Murray
died in a speedway crash 14
years ago. She said her late
husband was racing a sidecar
at Ruapuna Speedway when he
crashed and died instantly.
She started working at
Hornby Wendy’s four years
ago.
She said public holidays are
the restaurant’s busiest days and
it wasn’t fair to not get a day in
lieu for working them.
She plans to continue
working at Wendy’s and has not
encountered any problems while
standing up for her rights.
Wendy’s head office could not
respond to Nor’West News before
deadline yesterday.
LAwyERS
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
Police target
drivers outside
St Albans School
• By Julia Evans
A SERIES of police operations
have been planned in a bid to
change driver behaviour in St
Albans.
The ongoing problem of
speed, dangerous driving and
inappropriate parking has been
compromising the safety of
pupils at St Albans School around
Westminster, Trafalgar and
Cranford Sts.
However, yesterday police
and the city council started an
“education and enforcement”
programme to address the issues.
The “CHAOS at the school
gate” operation will target any
reckless drivers or vehicles
parked inappropriately outside
the school.
If any parking offences are
discovered, enforcement officers
will record the car registration
and take photos of the offending
vehicle. An infringement notice
would then be posted to the
vehicle’s owner.
An increased police presence
has already helped reduce
incidents, deputy principal Claire
Howison told Nor’West News, but
it is a matter of addressing them
over the long-term.
A great Bakery
and Cafe
78 Main Street, Oxford
Phone 03 312 4397
51 Main West Road, Sheffield
Phone 03 318 3876
www.sheffieldpieshop.co.nz
For all your catering needs
‘CEREC’ & cosmetic dentistry
Wisdom tooth removal
Painless, high quality dentistry
Sedation dentistry
Experienced, conscientious team
Experienced hygienists
OPEN SATURDAYS
355 9380
144 Cranford Street
www.stalbansdentalcentre.co.nz
We have over 40 years’ experience
to assist you with…
• Buying and Selling Houses and
Commercial Property
• Wills, Trusts and Estate matters
• All issues facing you
and your business;
• Employment Law
matters;
• Traffic matters;
• Advice regarding
Retirement Villages
• General Legal Advice on all matters
Call John, Brendan or Andrew today
03 366 8996
Email. lawyers@mclegal.co.nz
Airport Business Park
92 Russley Road, Christchurch 8042
Helping us,
Helps tHe
community
Drop off or buy
3 family stores in your community
4 Restell Street, Papanui
Ph 03 352 0515
50 Charles St, Kaiapoi
Ph 03 903 0017
Ilam Watchmakers
All watches and clocks
in stock discounted
Conditions apply. While stocks last.
CONDITIONS APPLY
Does not include rechargeable
or solar batteries & pressure testing.
207 Waimairi Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041.
Telephone: 357 1002 | www.ilam-watchmakers.co.nz