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The University of Auckland has again been on the receiving end of the Employment Relations Authority after a lecturer specialising in Maori and Pacific art history was made redundant.
The authority ruled that Vice-Chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon had failed to act in good faith towards lecturer Dr Rangihiroa Panoho when dismissing him on the basis of redundancy.
It ruled the redundancy was not justified and pointed out the university was in Auckland - the largest Polynesian city in the world.
The authority's decision also said that Professor McCutcheon failed to act as a good employer and that Dr Panoho was treated neither fairly nor sensitively.
The university issued a short written statement to say it disagreed with parts of the ruling and was considering an appeal but when asked what areas it disagreed with, spokesman Bill Williams declined to comment.
Association of University Staff deputy secretary Marty Braithwaite said the decision was indicative of poor employment relations practices at the university.
"It is also of major concern that the authority concluded that the Vice-Chancellors witnesses were unhelpful, if not deliberately vague, in their recall of important matters before the Authority. This is unacceptable anywhere, but particularly so in a publicly funded tertiary-education institution," Mr Braithwaite said.
The ruling comes one month after the authority ruled against the university in relation to the dismissal of Dr Paul Buchanan after an abusive email.
The authority ruled that Dr Buchanan be awarded $66,000 last month but he was not granted reinstatement.
"I have concluded that a fair and reasonable employer would not have dismissed Dr Buchanan for the reasons it did and in all the circumstances that then prevailed," ruled Vicki Campbell.
Dr Buchanan is appealing the decision with support from the Association of University Staff union.
- NZHERALD STAFF
