The Employment Relations Authority is supporting an Auckland supermarket's decision to fire a butcher for relabelling old meat.
Michael Dick was dismissed as butchery manager at the Westgate Countdown store in late 2010 for rewrapping for sale products that had reached their 'best before' date.
The authority heard he had rewrapped chicken which had reached its 'best before' date with new labels with a date one day later, and minced beef products that had reached their 'best before' date, rewrapping them for sale with a date one day later.
The authority heard that he reduced wastage figures because of pressure to keep costs down.
Mr Dick says his dismal was unfair because he was unaware of a zero-tolerance of those actions which he said were happening prior to his employment.
But the authority said he didn't have to carry on bad habits and the supermarket had trained him and other employees on how to handle meat safely.
The authority ruled that the supermarket chain, Progressive Enterprises Limited, acted fairly and reasonably,
