NZRPA chief executive Rob Nichol Photo: Photosport
A representative for the country's top rowers and cyclists says there is still a way to go before they're treated fairly, despite winning a landmark employment case.
The Employment Relations Authority on Wednesday ruled in favour of The Athletes' Cooperative and found High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) is obligated to engage in good-faith collective bargaining with the group, which represents around 60 elite cyclists and rowers.
New Zealand Athletes Federation boss Rob Nichol told Morning Report the ruling was a step in the right direction.
He said the rowers and cyclists wanted the opportunity to negotiate their pay and conditions, just like other people paid by HPSNZ.
"If you're a physio, a doctor, a performance coach, you can go and coach or work somewhere else, you've got options.
"There is no option, if you've chosen to row for New Zealand and you're one of the talented, the Emma Twiggs of the world etc, or a cyclist, and you want to commit to the national high performance funded sporting environment, that's your focus."
"We've been given the right to come to the start line and enter bargaining." - New Zealand Athletes Federation boss Rob Nichol
Nichol said the current system creates a power imbalance against the athletes who are essential told to "take it or leave it".
"I'm just not sure there's the money for it." - sports commentator Mark Watson
"It's no longer a hobby where they work all day and train in the evenings, they are making a positive choice to say this is my career, this is my profession, this is what I'm dedicating my life to.
"They're not asking for a fortune or anything, they just want to be treated fairly and reasonably."
Sports commentator Mark Watson told Morning Report he was surprised by the ruling.
"I always believed that as an athlete you get into it because you want to represent your country, you're not owed anything, you chose to do this."
He said he did understand the athlete's frustrations, but didn't think there was enough money for what they wanted.
"You've got $44m a year invested in high performance sport going across 44 sports, suddenly you've got 60 athletes all saying 'hey I want a bit more pay parity, I want a bit more security'.
"Well you know athletics are going to jump on board, swimming are going to jump on board, all these other sports are going to jump on board.