EPMU Media Release

1 February 2007

Strike action at the Oamaru Mail

It will be quiet at the APN-owned Oamaru Mail today as members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union take their first day of strike action after yesterday’s negotiations failed to deliver.

The strike action comes as the company refuses to meet the union members’ claim for a decent pay rise that meets the rising cost of living.

EPMU Lead Organiser John Gardner says after three months of negotiations members felt industrial action was the only option left open to them.

“It’s not like APN can’t afford to give its workers a decent pay rise. We’re talking about an Australian multinational that makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year out of this country but refuses to pay its Kiwi workers a fair wage.

“Our members don’t enjoy taking industrial action, but faced with this kind of behaviour they feel they have no other choice.”

The EPMU is also concerned the company will attempt to use strikebreaking labour in breach of the Employment Relations Act.

Gardner says any sign of such action would be challenged.

“We’ll be keeping an eye on the paper’s operations today and if we find any sign of illegal strikebreaking we’ll be taking legal action immediately.”

This is the first strike action taken by EPMU members in 2007.

ENDS

© Scoop Media