International Socialists

NZ Bus workers locked out

The NZ Bus company withdrew 700 buses from its Auckland routes on October 8, locking out 900 drivers and cleaners after they refused to call off proposed industrial action over a five-month pay dispute. Workers have rejected a pay rise offer of 10.5 percent over three years, and are demanding 12.6 percent over three years. [NB: as noted in previous articles on this site, this only constitutes a base rate of $15 per hour - hardly as dramatic as it may sound]

The company said it will not lift the lockout until the four unions representing its workforce remove their notice of work-to-rule and submit to negotiations facilitated by the government’s Employment Relations Authority.

An estimated 80,000 passengers are affected daily on city routes that include Go West, Waka Pacific, LINK and City Circuit.

Parliamentary employees stop work

Some 120 workers at New Zealand’s parliament buildings over the past week have been attending one-hour stop-work meetings to protest a government proposal to freeze wages and cut redundancy entitlements. The action by Public Service Association members, including security officers, library staff, reception workers, building maintenance staff and messengers, comes after seven months of negotiations with Parliamentary Services for a new collective agreement.

The walkout represents the first time this year that the PSA has organised industrial action, despite the fact that over 2,000 jobs have been cut from the public sector. The union has around 57,000 members.

Dairy workers remain locked out

Some 36 workers at New Zealand’s second largest dairy producer, Open Country Dairy Limited, remain locked out of its Waharoa processing plant despite a court ruling that the lockout is illegal. Dairy Workers Union (DWU) members have been locked out since September 16, after taking industrial action over a new work agreement. The company has been using administrative staff, company directors and farmers to keep the Open Country Cheese factory running.

DWU national secretary James Ritchie said that the company’s proposed work agreement would have turned most employees into seasonal and temporary workers and subjected them to major and disruptive roster changes at short notice. His earlier accusation that the company had established an employment agency to casualise the workforce was vindicated last week when the company announced a plan to cut permanent jobs in its powder and whey plant and employ more casual and seasonal workers.

Outstanding issues for the dairy workers are working hours and roster changes, redundancy and restructuring protection, length of time temporary employees serve and their ratio to permanent workers, and paid meal breaks. The union has already withdrawn an original demand for a wage increase. Talks between the union and management in front of a government mediator are in progress.

[Compiled by The World Socialist Website www.wsws.org]