By Jane Luscombe
Sky City bosses have brought forward a disciplinary meeting with one of their workers amid an unholy row over a Bible.
Tuni Parata fears she'll lose her job for breaking uniform rules by carrying a pocket Bible, but the Unite Union is hoping Sky City will back down.
To Ms Parata the little book was her lifeline, but to Sky City, carrying it was a disciplinary matter.
The softly spoken worker doesn't go in for Bible-bashing or preaching to Sky customers. She's so shy, she brought her pastor along when she met 3 News.
The only thing she did wrong at work was tuck the bible out of sight in her pocket.
“I suppose we all grab hold of something,” she says. “I take hold of the Bible, the word of God and it helps me through.”
But Sky City said that wasn't good enough.
Staff can't carry personal items, including wallets and phones, in case they "interfere with their full engagement with customers".
Ms Parata has worked in the Sky Tower ever since it opened 16 years ago, and was allowed to carry the Bible until last year, when she says new management changed the rules.
How carrying a Bible would interfere with her job wasn't made clear.
“I've caused an offence to management, which I hadn't set out to do. But it's really something - it's what I believe.”
Her union believes the rule is unreasonable.
“I don't think workers should be put in the situation of breaking rules and fearing those consequences when the rules themselves shouldn't be there,” says Unite national director Mike Treen.
Sky City says it regrets how the incident has played out in the media and has brought forward a disciplinary meeting, which will be held tomorrow.
3 News