Author: Press Room

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Jetstar is entitled not to offer its pilots an alternative day off if they are on call on a public holiday but do not have to work, the Employment Relations Authority says. The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association went to the authority alleging breaches of the Holidays Act and collective agreement for pilots. It argued that pilots were entitled to an alternative holiday when they were on standby during a public holiday, even if they were not called to work. The association – and two pilot members, Richard Greenslade and Greig Johnston – argued…

The Finance Minister is bemoaning those who take a glass-half-empty view of the unemployment figures, saying they were still better than forecast.The unemployment rate has risen to 5.2% in the three months ended June, up from 5.1% in the previous quarter.Stats NZ figures show unemployment has risen 1.9 percentage points since the June 2022 quarter.Annual wage growth has slowed to 2.4%, compared to 4.3% in the June 2024 quarter.The economy shed about 2000 jobs during the quarter and 16,000 jobs over the past 12 months.There was also an increase in the number of people aged 15 to 24 in education,…

St John is planning to axe a raft of community programmes including its hospital volunteers, community carers and pet therapy services.In an email to volunteers, St John said it has had to make some tough decisions about where it can have the greatest impact with the resources it has as it looks to its 10-year strategy.It said that, after careful consideration, it would no longer be the provider of these services.The organisation said it was focused on a new strategy and the move was not financially motivated.St John had 1100 volunteers working in hospital emergency departments, supporting patients and their…

ADVERTISEMENT Alleged double standards in the EU’s application of international law towards Ukraine and the Gaza Strip are eroding Europe’s credibility with the Global South, with which the bloc is eager to strike trade deals, a former EU ambassador to the Palestinian occupied territories and the Gaza Strip has told Euronews in an interview. “We have unfortunately lost our standing in the world. If you talk now to the Global South – the majority of countries with whom we want stronger relationships in trade, economic resources, raw materials, and energy supplies – you will find a situation where it is…

As the temperatures plummet, we seek heat – and not always safely. Here’s how to avoid an all too common winter burn. By Lisa MartinIt’s a cold, crisp evening and the air carries a chill that bites. As temperatures drop and houses get colder, we turn to trusted sources of warmth such as wood fires, heaters, hot water bottles and warm drinks.But these winter comforts come with the risk of burns.Staying warm in winter is important, but so is staying safe. So, a little caution can go a long way to prevent serious injury.Hot water bottles are one of the…

A Kiwi living in Brisbane is facing a long haul to recovery after suffering a major heart attack following a yoga session.Naz Naha was a healthy 40-year-old living a life centred on wellbeing. He is a musician, is member of a large community choir and regularly practised Bikram yoga.But on July 5, he suffered the serious cardiac arrest immediately after a yoga session and was airlifted to Brisbane Hospital. He underwent a 12-hour operation to replace his torn aorta, the body’s largest artery, with a metal graft.After the surgery, Naz was placed on life support for a week. After another…

New Zealand businesses owe more than $1.4 billion in unpaid GST and PAYE from the 2025 tax year, in what commentators say is a sign of the stress many parts of the economy are still under.Inland Revenue has provided a breakdown of PAYE and GST still unpaid for the tax years 2018 through to 2025.There is still almost $48 million unpaid from 2018 – and $1.471 billion from the most recent year.Of 2025’s number, $432.9m relates to employer activities and $1.047b to GST.Just over $66m of the debt was from businesses or individuals who were bankrupt or in liquidation.Businesses collect…

There are concerns for the welfare of an Auckland man who was last seen more than two weeks ago. John Bagnall, 57, was reported missing from the Pt Chevalier and Mt Roskill areas on Thursday, July 31.He was last seen at 7.24am on July 20 at Kiwi Storage on Carr Road in Mt Roskill. An image from the last known sighting of John Bagnall. (Source: 1News)Today, police asked the public for any information that may help in the search for Bagnall. Police said it was looking for any sightings of Bagnall or his white Nissan van with the registration PSU806.The…

By Guyon Espiner of RNZ A leaked Cabinet paper shows the government was planning to restrict the hours bottle stores and supermarkets could sell alcohol but then backed away to focus on reforms more friendly to the alcohol industry. The Associate Justice Minister – ACT’s Nicole McKee – is reforming the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act and had said that part of her focus would be reducing alcohol harm, which currently costs the country $9.1 billion a year. But documents leaked to RNZ, including a draft Cabinet paper, suggest the minister is now switching the focus of her reforms…

A reclusive Christchurch man who was his mother’s sole caregiver killed her in bed with a sword, a coroner has found.Nicholas McIlraith, 46, then took his own life, with police only discovering their bodies in their Riccarton home weeks later, the day after his mother Beverley McIlraith’s 80th birthday.Officers had gone to the house to do a welfare check, after relatives could not reach her by phone. Flowers and a parcel had not been collected from the front door.In a report released on Wednesday, Coroner Katharine Greig found the McIlraiths died on or about 6-7 March 2022.Evidence from the scene…