Employment Court hears closing submissions in ‘precedent-setting’ Gloriavale case: RNZ

By Jean Edwards | RNZ |

Gloriavale’s communal religious society is not a sham and there is no capitalist labour market hidden within the Christian community, the Employment Court has heard.

Shepherd Samuel Valor also apologised for Gloriavale’s part in “confusion” about its legal representation and urged chief judge Christina Inglis to hear the voices of Gloriavale mothers, in closing submissions in the “precedent-setting” case.

Six former Gloriavale women claim they were exploited and treated like slaves working on the community’s domestic teams and are seeking a ruling they were employees, rather than volunteers.

Valor told the court the women were not Gloriavale employees and members instead lived a sharing life, holding all things in common.

“The community’s foundational documents make it clear that there is no intention to create employment relationships within the community,” he said.

“Gloriavale’s communal economy is not a sham, unreal or artificial. One cannot pull back the curtain and find a capitalist labour market within.”

Further reading: Employment Court hears closing submissions in ‘precedent-setting’ Gloriavale case