New Zealand Aluminium Smelters is hinting it could appeal a court ruling over holiday rights for its employees in Southland.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters' operation on Tiwai Point near Bluff Photo: Wikicommons
In a judgement out today, the Court of Appeal upheld a claim by 64 employees to have a day's leave added to their annual holiday entitlement when a statutory holiday falls on a non-working day such as a weekend.
The company, which operates the smelter on Tiwai Point near Bluff, argued it was unreasonable to allow workers to get an extra day's holiday in lieu of a day when they were not working anyway.
The Employment Court argued against this and the Court of Appeal upheld that verdict.
The issue matters, because smelting aluminium is a continuous process that never stops.
In a brief statement, New Zealand Aluminium Smelters chief executive Gretta Stephens said she would consider her options once she had a chance to review the detailed judgement.