An employment lawyer says Countdown’s pledge to have more Maori and Pasifika managers would breach the law.

The supermarket is committed to achieving 20 percent of its senior leadership roles filled by Maori and Pasifika by 2025.

General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Safety and Sustainability Kiri Hannifin said the company is actively encouraging a diverse and inclusive team with more Māori and Pasifika team members at senior levels.

Hannifin said “our commitment is not about selecting people for leadership roles based on their race – it’s about acknowledging that different people will have different leadership approaches and we need to build an environment that accepts that the Pākeha world view is not the only one.”

But Canterbury Chambers lawyer Tim MacKenzie told Chris Lynch Countdown could find itself on the wrong side of the law.

He said if Countdown doesn’t offer an employee the same terms and conditions, benefits, opportunities for training, promotion or transfer, because of their race then that is discrimination under the Employment Relations Act.

MacKenzie said now that Countdown has made these statements in writing and in public, the company has opened itself up for potential legal challenges including personal grievances.

 He said the second problem for Countdown is the Human Rights Act.

 “In section 22 it says if an applicant for employment is qualified for any work, it shall be unlawful for any employer to refuse of omit to employ the applicant by reason of a prohibited ground of discrimination, in this case race.