By ELLEN READ
David Zwartz, the champion of the small shareholder, is to challenge Contact Energy over its employment policy.
Mr Zwartz says the lack of women on the board and in senior management, and the company's attitude to the issue, are unsatisfactory.
At the firm's annual meeting in Auckland on Tuesday, chairman Phil Pryke said it was important to "remember the heritage of this industry" when questioning the lack of women.
Responding to questions from Mr Zwartz, he said Contact was committed to equality of opportunity, but he did not intend to pursue policies of positive discrimination.
After the meeting, Mr Zwartz said that response was unclear and inadequate.
Contact's latest annual report showed no women in senior management, he said, and that was wrong for a company which had 500,000 customers.
"Obviously at least half of those are women.
"The company has to realise that it has to present a face to these people which is understanding of them and which is representative of them as well."
He said he would write to Contact's acting chief executive, Stephen Barrett, asking him to be more specific about what the company was doing regarding equal employment.
Zwartz to take on Contact boys' club
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