KEY POINTS:
A trade union employee, suspended when he became a candidate for the Act Party, is set to resume talks with the Labour-affiliated union on Thursday after a meeting yesterday failed to resolve his future.
Shawn Tan, a call-centre worker at the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, said EPMU bosses "skirted around" the issue of whether his new role put him at odds with its core beliefs, choosing to focus on other employment issues.
Mr Tan conceded he used a work computer to send Act Party emails during work time, but said it never interfered with his job.
"I'm a pretty confident multi-tasker, I can be on the phone to a union member and finishing off an email at the same time."
He said other EPMU staff used work time to send Labour Party emails and were not challenged. "Everyone else does it, but it hasn't been raised as an issue until now."
Act Party leader Rodney Hide has accused the union of being racist and condemned the decision to suspend Mr Tan over his political affiliation as shocking and disgusting.
Speaking outside the disciplinary hearing for Mr Tan, Mr Hide said: "They made a prejudiced decision because they thought that because he was Asian, because he was Chinese, he would do the meek and mild thing and not stand up for himself."
Mr Hide said there were still many New Zealanders who made decisions based on race and colour.
"That's something I expect the EPMU to feel strongly about.
"Clearly they don't and I think it's disgusting."
Max Whitehead, Mr Tan's advocate, argued that he should be free to do what he liked in his spare time and it was shocking his role with the EPMU had become a political issue.
Agreeing, Mr Hide said: "When you are appointed to a job, you don't make it conditional on their political views."
He said the EPMU was "a front for the Labour Party" and in the case with Mr Tan, it was just "beating up someone whose political views don't accord with them".
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said Mr Hide did not know the facts about the union's investigation of Mr Tan.
"Rodney Hide is an extremist who has a strong record of dislike for unions and union officials and his comments reflect that."
