Realtors welcome assurances

By BRIAN FALLOW

WELLINGTON - The Real Estate Institute has welcomed Government assurances that real estate salespeople will not have their employment status changed by the Employment Relations Bill.

Labour Minister Margaret Wilson, replying to a question from National employment spokesman Max Bradford, said real estate agents were covered by their own legislation, which provides for them to expressly agree with their employers to be independent contractors.

"It is not the intent of the Employment Relations Bill to over-ride this legislation or to stop real estate salespeople from agreeing to be independent contractors.

"The appropriate measures will be recommended to the select committee to reflect this intent," she said.

A similar assurance has been given to sharemilkers, who are covered by the Sharemilking Agreements Act.

Ms Wilson said it was a general principle of statutory interpretation that the specific over-rode the general.

"If they are covered by a particular piece of legislation then that is what would prevail in the circumstances.

"But if people want that stated, it is not doing any harm," she said.

"We have already given Federated Farmers assurances about that ages ago."