March 2, 2005

Little to front up to employers

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little will today front employers for the first time since launching the union’s Fair Share – 5 in 05 campaign on Sunday.

Mr Little will be on a panel discussion on the Employment Relations Act at the Crown Plaza hotel in Auckland at 2.55pm today. Some 300 employers are expected to attend.

Mr Little says that not all employers are automatically opposed to the union’s 5 per cent pay claim.

“I have spoken to several employers this week who recognise that it’s a fair claim in this economic climate,” he said, “I am looking forward to putting our case to more employers today.”

Meanwhile, the union is gearing up for a mass stop-work meeting in Auckland tomorrow in the wake of the collapse of negotiations to renew the key Metals and Manufacturing Industries Collective Agreement.

The Metals agreement covers more than 2000 workers at more than 200 companies directly, and sets the going rates and conditions for workers across the private sector.

Talks to renew the agreement broke down on Thursday, with the union claiming a 5 per cent wage rise and the employers (represented by the Northern Employers’ and Manufacturers’ Association) offering a 3.2 per cent rise.

Several hundred workers are expected to attend tomorrow’s stop-work meeting in Auckland and another one in Christchurch on Friday.

Workers in other parts of the country who are covered by the Metals agreement are holding site meetings this week and next week.

ENDS

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