Packaging plant strike for 5%

July 15, 2005

Packaging plant strike for 5%

Some 64 workers at the Amcor flexible packaging plant on Auckland’s North Shore are on strike for a fair-share five per cent pay rise.

They walked off the job at 1pm today and say they won’t return to work until 8am on Monday.

The workers are members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union that is leading the Fair Share – 5 in ’05 campaign for a five per cent pay rise for working people.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said that the argument for a five per cent pay rise remained strong.

“With fuel prices and electricity prices going up, and inflation hovering around 2.8 per cent, there is plenty of justification for a five per cent pay rise,” he said.

Mr Little said that the company had offered a five per cent rise to some workers, but not to others.

“Workers in the plant that converts plastic into plastic bags were offered five per cent, but their colleagues in the plastics extrusion plant and the stores and warehouse were offered only four per cent,” he said.

“The company needs to understand that these workers will stand by their colleagues and make sure that they all get a fair share.”

ENDS

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