May 20, 2005

Media Release

Striking workers offered 5%

Striking workers at the Robinhood rangehood factory in Auckland have been offered a five per cent pay rise.

Seventy-five workers walked off the job yesterday when the company made them a 4.2 per cent offer.

Robinhood is traditionally part of the Metals and Manufacturing Industries Collective Agreement, which was settled earlier this month with a five per cent pay rise. The company has been refusing to sign the agreement, saying that it believes that negotiations are still under way.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said that the company appeared to be confused by the position of the Employers and Manufacturers' Association, which had pulled out of the Metals negotiations.

Mr Little said that the company upped its offer to a five per cent pay rise after workers walked off the job yesterday.

“We are glad the company now accepts that five per cent is the going rate, but it has yet to sign into the Metals agreement,” he said.

The strike continued today.

Ends

© Scoop Media