Taranaki Daily News

Olympians launch legal action

- Dana Johannsen

‘‘We didn’t feel that what was being done by High Performanc­e Sport NZ was the right way.’’ Mahe Drysdale

Athletes from two of the country’s most successful Olympic sports have launched landmark employment proceeding­s against High Performanc­e Sport NZ.

Stuff has learned a newly formed athlete union, led by rowing great Mahe Drysdale and Tokyo Olympian Kirstie Klingenber­g (nee James), is taking the government sport agency to the Employment Relations Authority, in a case that could have profound implicatio­ns for the administra­tion of sport in New Zealand.

The group, known as The Athletes’ Cooperativ­e, was set up in June in opposition to High Performanc­e Sport NZ’S attempts to establish its own athlete voice mechanism, and is understood to represent around 60 elite cyclists and rowers.

The complex and highly political employment wrangle is at its heart an attempt by the Cooperativ­e, and its backers, to secure better rights and protection­s for elite athletes, including fairer wages.

The dispute wound up with the Employment Relations Authority following failed attempts by the Cooperativ­e to enter in collective bargaining with High Performanc­e Sport NZ.

Stuff understand­s that the government agency’s position is that athletes are not their employees, and therefore it cannot enter into employment negotiatio­ns.

The union is now seeking a determinat­ion from the Authority that contracted athletes are effectivel­y employees of High Performanc­e Sport NZ.

Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle confirmed the case was before the Employment Relations Authority, but declined to discuss the details.

‘‘Athlete voice and wellbeing continues to be a priority for High Performanc­e Sport New Zealand.

However, given the confidenti­al nature of this issue, we won’t comment further to respect the integrity of the process,’’ Castle said in a statement.

Drysdale was also unable to comment on the proceeding­s, citing confidenti­ality. But he was able to shed some light on the kaupapa of The Athletes Cooperativ­e.

As first revealed by Stuff in May, athletes from Rowing NZ and Cycling NZ were in talks to form

their own union due to concerns that a new athlete representa­tive body proposed by High Performanc­e Sport NZ was ‘‘compromise­d’’.

Documents submitted to the Incorporat­ed Societies Register reveal the group is backed by a roster of high profile athletes, including Olympic gold medallists Emma Twigg, Tom Mackintosh and Michael Brake, and cycling stars Sam Bewley and Sam Dakin.

Drysdale said the purpose of the Cooperativ­e was to empower athletes to ‘‘engage in a more meaningful way to make sport better in New Zealand’’.

‘‘We didn’t feel that what was being done by High Performanc­e Sport NZ was the right way. I don’t think High Performanc­e Sport can create their own athlete body and then actually be independen­t, so we decided to form our own mechanism.’’

The double Olympic champion, who retired from rowing last year, has been a long-time agitator for change in New Zealand’s high performanc­e system.

In 2016 Drysdale was among a handful of top-name athletes to speak out about a system that treats athletes as ‘‘second class citizens’’.

Since then, successive reviews into troubled sporting environmen­ts have further highlighte­d the link between elite athlete rights and welfare.

The two parties will present their case to Employment Relations Authority at an investigat­ion meeting in February.

 ?? ?? Olympic rowing great Mahe Drysdale and Kirstie Klingenber­g, inset, are co-chairs of a newly formed athlete union that has launched an employment case against High Performanc­e Sport NZ.
Olympic rowing great Mahe Drysdale and Kirstie Klingenber­g, inset, are co-chairs of a newly formed athlete union that has launched an employment case against High Performanc­e Sport NZ.
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