Transpacific workers strike over low wage offer

Media release: FIRST Union
Tuesday July 9, 2013

Transpacific workers strike over low wage offer

Waste and recycle workers at Transpacific Industries in Gisborne are this morning starting a two day strike in support of a poor wage offer that keeps workers on much lower wages than their Auckland and Wellington counterparts.

FIRST Union Transport & Logistics secretary Karl Andersen said that the company was offering workers just 30 cents an hour more.

“$12 a week, or closer to $9 after tax, is an insult to Transpacific’s workers,” he said.

“This is physical and at times unpleasant work that is essential for the Gisborne community to function.  Gisborne workers shouldn’t be the poor cousin to workers in other centres carrying out the same work.”

Karl Andersen said Transpacific could afford a better offer.

“The company’s New Zealand waste management revenues were up nearly 3 per cent in six months to December 2012, and the company noted in its full year guidance last month that trading conditions in New Zealand have shown an improvement during the second half.  Across the Australasian company as a whole, revenue was up over $1 billion AUD,” he said.

The company is paying down a huge amount of debt, and Karl Andersen said the case of Transpacific, like broadcasting company Mediaworks, highlighted problems for New Zealand workers employed by firms with big global private equity ownership.

“If the company thinks that a solution to over extending itself in recent years is to pay poverty wages to the hard working employees in its recycling centres, it needs to think again.”

“Transpacific New Zealand CEO’s salary is over NZD $600,000.  His Australian boss’ salary is well over AUD $1,000,000.  This is a company that can do better than 30 cents an hour,” he said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media