AA Strike Action Update

As the strike by Road Service officers who are members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) enters its second day the AA has expressed thanks to Members for their support and understanding.

AA Spokesman, Simon Lambourne, said the Association appreciated the fact that Members had reduced the volume of road service calls and had been very understanding about the delays being caused by strike action.

He said that in the major centres such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, response times were around 60 minutes compared with the usual average of 40 minutes. He said this was because of the lower call volumes and the contingency plans in place. There were longer delays to calls for tow trucks, up to two hours.

Mr. Lambourne said the Association has agreed to meet with the union again tomorrow morning to try and settle the dispute. He said the major sticking point was the unions claim for six weeks leave which the Association has rejected. He said AA Road Service officers already received five weeks leave and there is no intention to reduce this.

The other outstanding issues centred on a wage increase with the AA offering a 3.6% rise, and the question of pay parity across the country.

Mr. Lambourne said the Association was willing to engage an independent remuneration expert to address this question. He said the current pay rates had been established with full agreement of the union using an identical process in the past.

“We are anxious to resume discussions so that this matter is resolved as quickly as possible. Our first priority is to ensure our members are covered for road service over the holiday period,” he said.

“At the same time we need to be responsible on behalf of our members. The last thing we want to do is agree to the six week claim which would lead to increased costs on our members,” Mr. Lambourne concluded.

ENDS

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