White Island eruption: government agencies GNS Science, National Emergency Management Agency among the accused

Two government agencies are among the organizations facing charges in the White Island eruption tragedy.

White Island Tours, a private company, has also confirmed that it faces charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that both GNS Science and the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) acknowledged today that they are among those accused of the tragedy.

GNS Science monitors volcanic activity in this country, including the White Island, and scientists assign an alert level for each volcano.

Nema provides leadership to reduce risk, be ready to respond, and recover from emergencies.

WorkSafe revealed today that 10 organizations and three people face charges, but did not reveal who they were. Each of the organizations faces a maximum fine of $ 1.5 million and individuals face fines of up to $ 300,000.

White Island Tours has also confirmed that it has been charged with two violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The Chairman of Ngāti Awa Holdings, owner of White Island Tours, Paul Quinn, confirmed the news to the Bay of Plenty Times.

“White Island Tours Ltd has been charged with two violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. No employee or director of the company has been charged,” he said.

“Since the legal process is ongoing, we will not comment further at this time.”
Quinn added that at the time of the eruption, the iwi expressed its sincere condolences to families in New Zealand and abroad who lost their loved ones.

“We continue to include them in our prayers. Similarly to the survivors, we continue to offer our love and support.”

On Wednesday of next week, on the first anniversary of the Whakaari eruption, Quinn said they would come together as a community to mourn the victims and pay their respects.

They will burn over ‘horrible tragedy’

The confirmation of two accused government agencies came during Ardern’s post-Cabinet press conference.

She described the eruption last December that claimed 22 lives as a “horrible tragedy.”

Ardern said it was an independent decision made by WorkSafe.

“We need this to be an independent process.”

His message to affected families was that all New Zealanders were thinking of those who suffered loss or injury.

“There is no easy process from here,” he said.

Sick leave will double from 5 days a year to 10

Ardern said the government was “getting down to business” introducing new legislation, including a law change to double annual sick leave from five to 10 days.

The new sick leave laws would align New Zealand with Australia, he said.

Covid-19 has taught the world that one person’s illness can quickly turn into another’s.

There was evidence that additional sick leave is actually good for productivity in the workplace.

He confirmed that tomorrow he would move to declare a climate emergency in the Chamber.

This would send a “clear signal” to the private sector, Ardern said.

In the coming weeks, the Minister of Safety and Labor Relations, Michael Wood, will introduce legislation that will increase the annual allowance of sick leave from five days to ten.

“Covid-19 has shown how important it is to stay home when people are sick,” he said.

The increase in sick days would mean that fewer people would have to take unpaid sick leave.

“We need to leave the culture of resistance behind,” he said.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment estimated the total expected cost of the new policy to be 0.9 percent of the country’s total wage bill, Wood said.

Amending the current rules will mean more workers can stay home if they are sick and more sick leave will help support working parents.

The law change also keeps the current maximum entitlement to any unused sick leave at 20 days a year, which will help make it easier for companies to implement.

Rising sick leave was one of Labor’s pre-election promises.

Today’s announcement means the bill is expected to pass in mid-2021 and will go through the full selection committee process so it can receive submissions.

Earlier this month, the Greens lobbied Labor to rush the passage of sick leave legislation in Parliament before Christmas.

“The difference between five and 10 days off could be the difference between a greater community transmission of Covid-19 or not”, Workplace Relations
spokeswoman Jan Logie said.

But Wood said at the time that while the bill would go to the House before Christmas, the legislation would go into effect in 2021 and go through the normal consultation process.

National leader Judith Collins said the policy would only make it harder for workers to keep their jobs and cripple businesses as they fight a recession.

“Raising sick leave entitlements from five to 10 days a year while raising the minimum wage to $ 20 next year shows how disconnected Labor is when it comes to small businesses,” Collins told RNZ.

In a statement today, Wood said that while about half of all employers provide the current minimum entitlement of five days, many employers already offer 10 days or more.

This will not mean any change for them, he said.

“But five days can be easily used and employees who have exhausted their sick leave are faced with the choice between working while sick or taking sick leave without pay, which is not an option for many.”