EMA can weather the Thompson storm - deputy

Alasdair Thompson, chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern). Photo / file

The Employers and Manufacturers' Association (EMA) can weather the storm over the crisis caused by Alasdair Thompson's controversial comments, says its acting chief executive.

The EMA met yesterday to discuss its chief executive's comments that the gender wage gap was due to women taking more sick leave than men, citing one reason as their "monthly sick problem".

There have been several calls for his resignation since his remarks in a radio interview last week.

Mr Thompson has been on leave this week, and his stand-in Bruce Goldsworthy today refused to comment on reports he was unwell and in hospital.

Mr Thompson's future was up to EMA's board, he said.

Mr Goldsworthy said the EMA had been around for over 100 years and would be able to survive the current crisis.

"The organisation is much bigger than any one person and it offers a huge range of services to its members. I think there is every chance that we'll get through it OK."

It was "business as usual" and the EMA was continuing to provide services to its members, he said.

EMA board chairman Graham Mountfort said yesterday it was following "a sound and thorough process as a responsible employer must" over Mr Thompson's future,

He said the EMA "totally agree with equal pay for equal work".

"The board refutes unanimously any suggestion that gender plays any part in workplace productivity.

"The EMA board totally supports New Zealand women achieving to the highest levels in our boardrooms, management and at all levels in our workplaces."

Nearly 9000 woman have joined the Facebook group The Alasdair Thompson Women's Monthly Day Off, which suggests women stay home from work on June 30 "to highlight what has been said about the gender pay equity gap".

Prime Minister John Key, on a visit to India for talks on free trade agreement, told journalists Mr Thompson's future was a decision for the EMA to make, while the Labour Party said the EMA had some explaining to do.

"The EMA was at the forefront of advocating for a 90-day no-rights period for all workers and arguing that substance over process is more important," said labour issues spokeswoman Darien Fenton.

"Alasdair Thompson has described (employment) law as a 'grievance gravy train' but an ordinary worker on the job would have been fired by now," she said.

"My hope is that when it comes to the rights of workers who are in a much less powerful situation than someone like Alasdair Thompson, the EMA will reconsider their position."

- NZPA