New Zealand: Bus company tells staff to speak English only

[Harold Schiffman]

Bus company tells staff to speak English only

 Associate Social Development and Employment Minister Tariana Turia is
condemning a bus company's rule that workers can only speak English at
work, even during breaks.  Tramways Union Secretary Kevin O'Sullivan
said Mana Coach Service's position was unacceptable but negotiations
had failed to get it changed. The company, in its company handbook,
required all staff to communicate using English when writing reports,
in general conversation in the depot and in the driver's room. Mana
Coach Services runs bus services from Paraparaumu, Porirua and
Newlands, north of Wellington.

Mr O'Sullivan said his union represented about 30 workers at the
company which employed approximately 130 staff. "The company employs
lots of people for whom English is a second language for them," he
said. He said staff should be able to feel at ease in breaks. Mr
O'Sullivan said the Human Rights Commission had told the company it
was potentially in breach of the Human Rights Act but neither that nor
union submissions had made any difference.

Under the law workers can be required to speak English for health and
safety reasons. Maori Party co-leader Mrs Turia said the rule was a
kick in the face for Polynesian and Maori workers. "It's outrageous
that a company based in the Wellington region's Polynesian capital has
told its workers they can only speak to each other in English even
when on a break in the staff tearoom," she said. "What makes it even
worse is that the company hierarchy has tried to justify their policy
by saying they find it threatening when hearing workers talk to each
other in another language that's not English, the days of being seen
but not heard are over." The Dominion Post broke the story last month
after an earlier report saw Thorndon New World dump a similar rule.

- NZPA

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2342141/Bus-company-tells-staff-to-speak-English-only

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