E tū members working as journalists for Allied Press are walking off the job for a whole day to protest their employer’s current offer on the table for their new collective agreement.
More than 40 members from Dunedin to Invercargill will participate in the day-long strike action with pickets from 9am on Tuesday morning.
Union members are pursuing a decent pay rise that will bring their wages into line with industry pay rates.
ODT delegate and journalist Rebecca Fox says pay rises for members over the last 15 years have not only fallen behind inflation, but behind others in the media industry.
“We recognise how tough the media industry and the ODT has it at the moment, but it can’t be an excuse for unliveable wages.
“Other players in the industry are getting five to six percent pay increases – our last one was two percent,” she says.
Rebecca says it takes around three years for journalists starting out at the ODT to earn even the Living Wage, while those with many years of experience also feel short changed.
“We have people working with 20+ years of experience who are barely getting the new average salary for Otago* which is around $70,000.”
She says for years, journalists at Allied Press have also been struggling with a lack of training and resources, which has added to their feeling of being under-appreciated.
E tū organiser Ann Galloway says negotiations with the company have always been drawn out, and this round of bargaining has been no different.
“Members are fed up with waiting on their employer to give them a decent pay rise.”
In comparison to other newspaper outlets, their pay rates are very low, she says.
“Members are prepared to keep fighting until they receive an offer that they can accept.”
Strike/picket details
Allied Press journalists are striking from 9am on Tuesday 10 October to 9am Wednesday 11 October.
Pickets will be held outside the Otago Daily Times office in Dunedin at 52 Stuart St on Tuesday 10 October at 9am, 12pm, and 5pm.
* According to the most recent Trade Me Jobs report
E tū, The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA), and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) are calling on Te Whatu Ora to stop interfering in the Care and Support Workers’ pay equity claim that has left 65,000 underpaid health workers waiting.
“For more than a year we have undergone a rigorous pay equity process. We have systematically proven and measured the undervaluation of care and support workers based on their gender,” says PSA Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley.
The three unions filed the claim on 1 July 2022 with 15 employers that are representative of the wider care and support sector, employing around 30 percent of the workforce.
“We are disappointed that as we near the end of the process, Te Whatu Ora has interfered and overstepped its role by trying to initiate a review of work on the claim that has already been completed and received the necessary sign off,” says E tū Assistant National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh.
Pay equity claims follow a prescribed process overseen by the Public Service Commission. Each milestone during the process is awarded appropriate signoff before advancing to the next stage and Rachel says the proposed review seeks to re-open elements of the work that have already been signed off.
“We are on the edge of a decision that would make sure care and support workers are paid fairly for what they do and that would strengthen our community-based health services. This unwarranted and damaging proposed review has significantly delayed reaching a settlement,” says caregiver and NZNO delegate Trish McKillop.
Unions have issued a legal challenge to the review.
An open letter has been launched calling on funders to provide sufficient resources to settle the claim as soon as possible and stop the interference. The letter is supported by community organisations including Grey Power, the National Council of Women, and the Council of Trade Unions.
The situation is now urgent as the Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Settlement Act is due to expire on December 31 st with no assurance of how its protections will be maintained.
“We are committed to working with the next government to ensure care and support workers receive a pay equity offer by the end of the year,” Melissa Woolley says.
Further information:
The Care and Support Workers’ pay equity claim covers home support workers, aged care workers, disability support workers, and mental health and addictions workers.
Aotearoa celebrated proudly in 2017 when unions won an historic pay increase for care and support workers following landmark legal wins championed by aged care worker Kristine Bartlett. But since then, their wages have regressed back to minimum wage while the cost of living has skyrocketed.
E tū members at Graphic Packaging in Auckland are doing a rolling strike until next week to win a decent pay increase for its lowest-paid members.
Up to 60 members from the packaging production plant will be participating in the strike with daily pickets during weekdays for the duration of the industrial action.
The company’s current pay offer still falls short of what members are hoping for.
Delegate Stephen Meredith says members are feeling really disappointed at the company’s most recent offer.
“It feels disrespectful to receive a low-ball offer. Right now, almost half our membership earns under $24 an hour, which is more than $2 less than the Living Wage.
“For us, that’s the crux of the matter and that’s why we are fighting, because our lowest-paid members are struggling and deserve better, as well as trying to get others a fair and decent increase,” he says.
E tū organiser Alvy Tata says the reason for the strike is simple: winning an acceptable increase for the lowest paid members.
“This is about recognising workers’ contributions, giving them the pay increase they deserve, and lifting up those who earn the least,” she says.
“The company needs to come to the table and give these workers a proper, fair pay rise now.”
Picket details
E tū members from Graphic Packaging International NZ are striking from Wednesday 4 October to Tuesday 10 October, with a picket outside Downers at 1061–645 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland, 7am–2pm.
There’s a lot at stake this election, and we want to see a Labour-led Government back in power to protect the gains we’ve made for workers.
Join Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, Deputy Prime Minister, Carmel Sepuloni, Green Party co-leader, Marama Davidson, and your E tū leaders for an afternoon of music, kai and activism!
We’ll also head out to knock on doors and talk with the local community about the importance of voting and why a Labour-led Government is vital for workers.
WHEN:Saturday 16 September WHERE: EFKS Church, 43 Thomas Road, Māngere, Auckland TIME: 12pm start
Remember to pledge to vote
E tū members all over Aotearoa are making clear their intention to vote in the General Election.
Make the commitment by filling our Pledge to Vote HERE (if you haven’t already), and pass it on to share with workmates, whānau, friends, and your community.
We need everyone to get out and vote for a Labour-led Government, so we can ensure our voices are heard and we keep everything that we’ve worked so hard for!
Cleaners’ strike continues
Last week, cleaners working for cleaning company OCS took strike action again – this time at Auckland Airport, with a picket outside the domestic terminal.
OCS is refusing to come to the table with a pay increase for these workers, as one of the companies in bargaining for the new cleaners’ Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA).
Jacqueline Davis, one of the cleaners who went on strike, says the zero offer shows the companies don’t care about their workers.
“Personally, I think they just don’t give a damn about us. We’re nothing in their eyes, we’re just the little cleaners.
“OCS and all the other companies need to treat us with respect. If it wasn’t for us cleaners, the airport would be a hell of a mess. They need to treat us like people, we are sick of being treated like doormats.”
Strike action is planned to continue until OCS cleaners are offered a fair pay rise.
E tū leader joins international union conference
Last week, E tū leader Rosey Ngakopu, who works as a security guard in Wellington, joinedUNI Global Union’s 6th World Congressand Women’s Conference in Philadelphia.
Rosey was there to talk about E tū’s Fair Pay Agreement journey – from campaigning for it to become law, to finally starting to negotiate for security guards’ first-ever FPA!
She says the conferences were eye-opening and inspiring – and now E tū members need to take action to protect FPAs.
“We are being looked up to and watched by the unions overseas for our FPA model. Now we have to save FPAs by voting for a Labour-led Government.
“We have to encourage our family and friends to put their votes forward for the parties that support workers and will put them first before profit.”
New alliance in Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga Tāmaki Makaurau
Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga Tāmaki Makaurauis a new community alliance that seeks to unite the voices of our communities to tackle some of the big problems we face in Auckland.
E tū has been a strong driver of this new alliance, which focuses on three areas – housing, decent work, and migrant, former refugee and asylum seeker issues.
Come along to help us officially launch Te Ohu Tāmaki on Wednesday 6 September, 6pm-8pm in Māngere!
Living Wage ticks over to $26 per hour
On 1 September, the Living Wage went up to the official 2023/24 rate of $26 per hour.
This is a huge achievement and means a wage increase of almost 10%, which reflects the real cost of living increase for working families.
People working for Living Wage Employers are now entitled to this new rate, as are thousands of workers across the public sector, where E tū has won Living Wage victories.
Diversional therapists meet in Wellington
Do you know what the role of a diversional therapist is?
Diversional and recreational therapists support people with physical and developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, and age-related conditions like dementia.
They organise and facilitate creative and engaging programmes for the clients to increase their psycho-social health.
In mid-August, E tū members working at diversional therapists joined the annual conference for workers in their profession. It was a great chance to come together, connect, and attend a range of workshops.
E tū co-president Muriel Tunoho also gave a presentation (to standing ovation!) on employment rights, including E tū members’ current fight for pay equity for care and support workers.
E tū offices on the move
Our Wellington office is now moving into the city!
From 11 September, our new Wellington office address is:
Level 12, 79 Boulcott Street
Wellington 6011
Please note that the Whangarei office is now closed permanently. If you need to get in touch with an organiser in this area, please email support@etu.nz for more info.
New to E tū? Come to a welcome meeting
Learn more about how E tū can support you, how to use our digital tools, and more!
Click on the link of your preferred time to register.
WHEN:Wednesday 11 October TIME: 10am-11am: TIME: 7pm-8pm:
We use Zoom to host our meetings.
Events coming up
Auckland Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga launch – Wednesday 6 September, 6pm-8pm Lesieli Tonga Auditorium, 143 Favona Road, Māngere CLICK HERE to register now
E tū Election Campaign Launch – Saturday 16 September, 12pm EFKS Church, 43 Thomas Road, Māngere, Auckland CLICK HERE to register now
Climate Action Week – Monday 18 September to Sunday 24 September Nationwide events, CLICK HERE for more.
Living Wage Forums – Friday 29 September, 6.30pm-8pm Auckland: Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, 27 Galway Street, Onehunga Wellington: St Peters on Willis, Willis Street, Wellington Christchurch: Aldersgate Centre, 309 Durham Street, Christchurch
Cleaners at Auckland Airport will be stopping work today and going on strike, after their employer OCS has offered zero increase in recent negotiations.
The workers will strike in groups and will be on a picket line at the Auckland Domestic Terminal (Air New Zealand side) from 1:30pm until 2:30pm.
OCS is one of the parties to the multi-employer collective agreement (MECA) for commercial cleaners, which also includes ISS, City Cleaning, PPCS, Total Property Services (TPS), Millennium, Kleenrite, Watershed, United Cleaning Services, and Westferry. These companies hold some of the biggest cleaning contracts across both the public and private sector.
While the MECA has been settled with some margin above the minimum wage in previous years, this time the employers aren’t budging.
Jacqueline Davis, an airport cleaner who will be going on strike today, says the zero offer shows the companies don’t care about their workers.
“Personally, I think they just don’t give a damn about us. We’re nothing in their eyes, we’re just the little cleaners,” Jacqueline says.
“OCS and all the other companies need to treat us with respect. If it wasn’t for us cleaners, the airport would be a hell of a mess. They need to treat us like people, we are sick of being treated like doormats.”
E tū has been campaigning for the Living Wage for cleaners. Jacqueline says getting the Living Wage would be a huge help, including for her health.
“Right now, if I get sick, I can’t afford to take the day off or go to the doctor. I had to use up all my sick leave after an accident, so I simply have no choice.
“Getting a decent wage would mean not having to worry about finding the money for a simple day off and a doctor’s visit.”
E tū Director, Sarah Thompson, says OCS and the other cleaning companies need to step up.
“This is such a harsh position from the employer group,” Sarah says.
“It shows that they just don’t value the essential work of cleaners like Jacqueline and thousands of others.”
Sarah says it’s a clear demonstration of why cleaners need a Fair Pay Agreement.
“Right now, we’re getting ready to bargain the very first Fair Pay Agreement for the cleaning industry, which will be the best opportunity in decades to really improve things for this essential workforce.
“The National and ACT parties have promised to scrap Fair Pay Agreements before they even get started. It’s another slap in the face to working people like Jacqueline, and we can’t let that happen.”
E tū, the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, is hugely disappointed with the National Party’s policy to implement a tax regime that benefits the wealthy while leaving many others no better off.
The plan, released today, includes an adjustment of tax brackets, reinstating interest deductibility for landlords, removing the Government’s recent public transport subsidies, ending the foreign buyer ban on homes worth over $2 million, and cancelling other government projects.
“This is a deeply misleading policy, because it doesn’t factor in everything National will take away from working families,” says E tū Director, Sarah Thompson.
“Their policy says that average families will be ‘better off’ because of their FamilyBoost policy, but they have not factored in the extra costs on families resulting from the removal of Labour’s ECE funding extension.
“Their numbers also don’t reflect that families will be paying more for public transport under their plan, nor does it include the congestion charges they are planning to implement as part of their transport policy.
“Families who rely on public transport or the extra ECE funding will not be nearly as well off as National claim. They’ll also be paying extra costs when National bring back prescription fees. It’s all smoke and mirrors.”
Sarah says landlords like Christopher Luxon are the real winners from this policy, with $2.3 billion going to them over four years.
“Christopher Luxon does not need to pocket more money. He is on the record saying he doesn’t even know how much his seven properties are worth – he’s doing extremely well.
“That money should be going to increasing essential services, building core infrastructure, supporting those who need it most, and investing in the future of Aotearoa. Instead, he’s going to give billions to himself and his rich mates.”
Sarah says that with lower- and middle-income New Zealanders doing it tough during the cost-of-living crisis, the money should be targeted based on real need.
“It’s galling to hear Luxon describe this as a cost-of-living policy when so much goes to the richest people.
Sarah says today’s announcement is another example that the National Party are going into the election with an anti-worker agenda.
“This is just the latest indicator that National doesn’t really care about working people. Yesterday, they re-committed to extending 90-day trials, despite the evidence clearly showing they don’t work. They will also scrap Fair Pay Agreements, robbing low paid workers of their best opportunity in decades to make real gains.”
Invite to your Biennial Membership Meetings (BMMs)
This September, you’re invited to come together with other E tū members for one of the most important events in your union’s democracy.
Every two years, your Biennial Membership Meetings (or BMMs) take place around the motu at your workplace or local community hubs, and we discuss E tū’s direction and plan for the future.
At these meetings, you’ll also elect the members who will represent your region on the E tū National Executive, which is the governing body of your union.
Check out the latest edition of our online magazine!
This issue, we feature a spotlight on the aviation industry (a new magazine feature!), updates on our important campaigns, a report from our Delegate Forums, an article by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, and much more.
At the end of July, E tū members working as cleaners for major cleaning companies currently bargaining for a new MECA (multi-employer collective agreement) took action after a zero offer pay rise.
Their employers – OCS, ISS, City Cleaning, PPCS, Total Property Services (TPS), Millennium, Kleenrite, Watershed, United Cleaning Services, and Westferry – refused to give workers a single cent over the minimum wage, even though in past MECAs they have paid 30 cents above this.
Auckland Airport cleaner Jackie Clark says getting no offer is stressful and workers don’t feel respected. “We have whānau to feed, rent and other bills to pay. It’s also affecting our health physically and mentally, and these cleaning companies don’t care.”
The zero-offer shows is exactly why cleaners need a Fair Pay Agreement – to stop the race to the bottom on wages. With E tū initiating Fair Pay Agreements for both cleaners and security workers, we are on track to finally be able to negotiate for what we know these essential workers really deserve!
Keep an eye out on social media for upcoming action and how you can support.
From the picket line to third collective!
Lifewise members have a new collective agreement. Ratified last week, members will now be able to take a defensive driving course and first aid courses for free. They also won the right to long service after 15 and 20 years, a $500 Pak’n’Save voucher, and a special fund to assist members taking bereavement leave has been doubled.
Delegate Maggie Greig says it’s a good outcome. “It feels really good that we’ve got the ball rolling and the momentum of improving our work conditions. It’s awesome, and it’s makes it better for the new staff coming on too. With every new collective, we’re gradually improving lives for Lifewise members.”
It shows how far Lifewise have come since members needed to take strike action in 2021/22 to win their first ever collective agreement.
Solid pay rises for packaging workers
Members at Oji Packaging at six sites around the country got a great deal for their next three-year collective agreement, winning a pay increase of 7.5% and then 5% per year after that for the term of the agreement.
Delegate Barry Jackson from Christchurch says, “it’s probably the biggest offer we’ve had in most people’s memories, and everyone was really happy.”
E tū Election campaign kicks off
We want members and workers to keep the gains that we’ve all fought so hard for – legislation like Fair Pay Agreements, 10 days’ sick leave, and decent minimum wage increases.
This General Election, we’ll be campaigning hard for a Labour-led government and we need your support.
Make sure you pledge to vote HERE, and if you’d like to be involved in our election activities, let us know.
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Leadership change from November
As most members will already be aware, E tū’s National Secretary, Bill Newson, is stepping down from his position in late November.
From then until the next Biennial Conference (where you’ll officially elect a new National Secretary), the E tū National Executive has officially endorsed E tū Co-Assistant National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh to take over Bill’s role.
New to E tū?
If you’re new to the union and would like to meet other new members and learn more about how E tū can support you, come to our next online new member meeting.
Click on the link of your preferred time below to register.
E tū, the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, is deeply concerned about the prospect of a National-led Government’s ability to fund essential services and infrastructure, after figures released today show their policies create a large fiscal shortfall.
The figures have been released by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, using all the information the National Party have published about their own policy costings to date, as well as data from Treasury and the Reserve Bank. It reveals a shortfall of $3.3bn to $5.2bn, numbers which do not even include major spending promises that remain uncosted by National.
E tū Assistant National Secretary, Rachel Mackintosh, says the National Party must front up now about how they would pay for their election policies.
“National’s promises are expensive, and the party simply cannot make it work without new revenue or significant cuts,” Rachel says.
“The Council of Trade Unions have had to carry out this work because National are still not being upfront with the public about their financial plan. It should really be National’s own responsibility to explain to the voting public how they are going to balance the books. The closer we get to Election Day, the more worrying it is that the National Party can’t present a credible explanation for how they’ll pay for their promises.”
Rachel notes that other parties have been able to present their numbers – Labour through Budget 2023, and the Greens and ACT with their published alternative budgets.
“With National not even able to make their own announced policies stack up financially, we are deeply worried about what this would mean for continued funding of key services. The money must come from somewhere, and so adequately funding things like health and education is at serious risk.”
E tū Co-President, Muriel Tunoho, has worked in community health for decades. She is particularly concerned about what the budget hole would mean for health funding.
“National underfunding the health system is a tale as old as time,” Muriel says.
“People working in the community health spaces are particularly worried because we’ve been forgotten about before. While we have made some gains under Labour, there is still so much more we need to make the health system work for everyone, especially our most marginalised communities.
“Not funding health properly means real hardship for families in Aotearoa. Both the workers and the service users suffer. I have seen poor health outcomes result in all sorts of huge challenges for whānau, it’s heartbreaking.
“E tū members in health need pay equity, safer staffing, and many more improvements. These things require a proper boost to health funding, which we have been campaigning for. Seeing that National can’t even fund their headline election policies is a clear sign that community health would be neglected again.
“Quite simply, National need to turn their policy programme around so that it helps everyone, not just the wealthy few. Now is not the time for tax cuts for the most well-off. It’s the time for serious investment in the communities of Aotearoa.”