Just be glad we don’t have employment courts like this in the U.S.
Michael Paki, an employee at Levin Meats in New Zealand, was considered a manipulative hot head by company managers.
The company fired him following a one-day sit-in for being the one to “organize and orchestrate illegal strike action,” according to The Evening Standard.
So Paki went to the Employment Relations Authority to get his job back.
The employment court ruled he should get his job back, plus compensation including $1,500 for “hurt feelings.” However, that figure was substantially reduced.
Here’s what led to Paki’s firing: One day, the meat plant’s assistant manager was confronted by a room full of workers who were angry and refusing to work.
Police were called, and many employees returned to their work stations.
The company reinstated some employees who were suspended, but Paki was fired for allegedly being an organizer.
The employment court found there wasn’t enough evidence to support that claim.
Levin Meats is appealing the ruling.
