Disability support workers ask for ‘common cents’

Disability support workers ask for ‘common cents’ over wage freeze

Several hundred disability support workers picketed national and regional offices around the country from Whangarei to Dunedin today.

At many of the pickets, workers had buckets to collect donations of ten cents for their employer IHC, in an attempt to get them to “see sense”.

The workers, who are members of the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota, are now into their fourth week of industrial action over a wage freeze.

The SFWU represents more than 3000 community support workers employed by employed by intellectual disability provider IHC, and has been negotiating with IHC since last October. The Union is seeking a 2% pay increase and IHC is offering a 12 month pay freeze.

Alastair Duncan, SFWU Central Region Secretary says that despite repeated attempts to resolve this dispute the Union continues to be met with a wall of silence.

“At today’s picket in Wellington, our members called for management to come out and talk to them. It came as no surprise that they didn’t appear,” says Alastair Duncan.

Tonight [Tuesday 6 April] will see night staff return home, as a second ban on ‘sleepovers’ takes place.

John Ryall, SFWU National Secretary, says that IHC management is refusing to pass on additional public money to the IHC workers who are on very low pay rates.

“A wage freeze in the disability support sector is unacceptable, and our members see no alternative but to continue taking industrial action until this matter is resolved,” John Ryall says.

ENDS

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