- BSC NZ president Patrick Lee-Lo
The Building Services Contractors of New Zealand (BSC NZ) has released a statement that it is distancing itself from a website and ‘tongue-in-cheek’ campaign launched by Crest Commercial Cleaning Ltd (a non-member) that ‘pokes fun at Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson’.
‘The ‘Vulnerable Minister’ website has been launched by the NZ-based cleaning company in an effort to persuade Minister Wilkinson to revise Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act 2000.
Part 6A relates to continuity of employment if employees’ work is affected by restructuring, and has been the subject of ongoing discussions with the sector.’
According to the 10 September statement, BSC president Patrick Lee-Lo says that while BSC was keen for Part 6A to be revised, it in no way supported ridiculing the Minister.
“BSC is talking to the Government about this issue and we will continue to lobby strongly for action. This is certainly the biggest single issue facing our members. This part of the Act is simply unworkable in its present form because it can expose incoming contractors to a range of liabilities they and their clients are not prepared for,” stated Lee-Lo.
“It needs to be amended but we believe the way forward is to maintain our constructive relationship with the Minister and her officials, rather than to go down the path that Crest has chosen. It is important to note that their actions are not supported by our association and its members, and they do not reflect the views of the broader industry.”
Lee-Lo noted that BSC members “do their best to work within the framework of the legislation” while lobbying to have Part 6A revised to make it more workable.