The Employment Relations Authority is being accused of dragging its heels over making plans to prevent a backlog of cases building up.
Advocates who assist workers bring their complaints to the Authority, say they're having to deal with delays and poor communication.
The backlog is being put down to a sharp rise in the number of workers bringing their cases forward, as well as the impact of the lockdown in Levels 3 and 4 which meant a number of case meetings were cancelled.
Head of Community Law Centres, Sue Moroney, says they predicted this happening back in April - when they saw an uptick in their services being used.
She told Harry Lock their pleas fell on deaf ears.
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The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment says while all matters currently lodged with the ERA have been reviewed, they've organised a prioritised wait list to help them sort through the backlog.