New Zealand Legislation: Acts

5 Interpretation

• In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

  applicable collective agreement means the collective agreement that is binding on the relevant union and employer, at the relevant point in time in relation to an employee of the employer who is a member of the union

  Authority means the Employment Relations Authority established by section 156

  bargaining, in relation to bargaining for a collective agreement,—

  • (a) means all the interactions between the parties to the bargaining that relate to the bargaining; and

  • (b) includes—

    • (i) negotiations that relate to the bargaining; and

    • (ii) communications or correspondence (between or on behalf of the parties before, during, or after negotiations) that relate to the bargaining

  chief executive means the chief executive of the department

  Chief Judge means the Chief Judge of the court

  Chief of the Authority means the Chief of the Authority who holds office under section 166(1)(a)

  collective agreement means an agreement that is binding on—

  • (a) 1 or more unions; and

  • (b) 1 or more employers; and

  • (c) 2 or more employees

  compliance order means an order made by the Authority or the court under section 137 or section 139

  court means the Employment Court constituted under this Act

  coverage clause,—

  • (a) in relation to a collective agreement,—

    • (i) means a provision in the agreement that specifies the work that the agreement covers, whether by reference to the work or type of work or employees or types of employees; and

    • (ii) includes a provision in the agreement that refers to named employees, or to the work or type of work done by named employees, to whom the collective agreement applies:

  • (b) in relation to a notice initiating bargaining for a collective agreement, means a provision in the notice specifying the work that the agreement is intended to cover, whether by reference to the work or type of work or employees or types of employees

  demand notice means a demand notice issued under section 224(1)

  department, in any provision of this Act, means the department of State that, with the authority of the Prime Minister, is for the time being responsible for the administration of that provision

  dispute means a dispute about the interpretation, application, or operation of an employment agreement

  dwellinghouse—

  • (a) means any building or any part of a building to the extent that it is occupied as a residence; and

  • (b) in relation to a homeworker who works in a building that is not wholly occupied as a residence, excludes any part of the building not occupied as a residence

  employee is defined in section 6

  employer means a person employing any employee or employees; and includes a person engaging or employing a homeworker

  employment agreement—

  • (a) means a contract of service; and

  • (b) includes a contract for services between an employer and a homeworker; and

  • (c) includes an employee's terms and conditions of employment in—

    • (i) a collective agreement; or

    • (ii) a collective agreement together with any additional terms and conditions of employment; or

    • (iii) an individual employment agreement

  employment relationship means any of the employment relationships specified in section 4(2)

  employment relationship problem includes a personal grievance, a dispute, and any other problem relating to or arising out of an employment relationship, but does not include any problem with the fixing of new terms and conditions of employment

  essential service means a service specified in Schedule 1

  homeworker—

  • (a) means a person who is engaged, employed, or contracted by any other person (in the course of that other person's trade or business) to do work for that other person in a dwellinghouse (not being work on that dwellinghouse or fixtures, fittings, or furniture in it); and

  • (b) includes a person who is in substance so engaged, employed, or contracted even though the form of the contract between the parties is technically that of vendor and purchaser

  individual employment agreement means an employment agreement entered into by 1 employer and 1 employee who is not bound by a collective agreement that binds the employer

  Judge means a Judge of the court; and includes a temporary Judge

  Labour Inspector means an employee of the department designated under section 223 to be a Labour Inspector

  lockout has the meaning given to it by section 82

  mediation includes mediation services provided under section 144 by the chief executive, and any other mediation services that are provided (whether by the chief executive or any other person) to help resolve employment relationship problems

  mediation services means the mediation services provided, under section 144, by the chief executive

  member of the Authority means a member of the Authority who holds office under section 166(1); and includes a temporary member who holds office under section 172

  Minister, in any provision of this Act, means the Minister of the Crown who, under the authority of any warrant or with the authority of the Prime Minister, is for the time being responsible for the administration of that provision

  person intending to work means a person who has been offered, and accepted, work as an employee; and intended work has a corresponding meaning

  personal grievance or grievance has the meaning given to it by section 103

  prescribed means prescribed by regulations made under this Act

  Registrar of the court means any employee of the department designated under section 198 to act as the Registrar of the court

  Registrar of Unions means the employee of the department appointed under section 27 to be the Registrar of Unions

  strike has the meaning given to it by section 81

  union means a union registered under Part 4

  wages and time record means a wages and time record kept pursuant to section 130

  workplace means a place where an employee works from time to time; and includes a place where an employee goes to do work.

  Section 5 coverage clause paragraph (a): substituted, on 1 December 2004, by section 7(1) of the Employment Relations Amendment Act (No 2) 2004 (2004 No 86).

  Section 5 dwellinghouse: substituted, on 1 December 2004, by section 7(2) of the Employment Relations Amendment Act (No 2) 2004 (2004 No 86).

  Section 5 homeworker paragraph (b): amended, on 1 December 2004, by section 7(3) of the Employment Relations Amendment Act (No 2) 2004 (2004 No 86).