October 17, 2008

Joint Media Release

Croxley workers strike

More than a hundred Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and National Distribution Union members at Croxley are taking strike action after the stationery manufacturer attempted to cut nearly a million dollars out of their wages and conditions during negotiations.

The strike action comes after seven months of bargaining with Croxley and affects both the company's manufacturing plant in Avondale and its warehouse in Wiri.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the strike action is the last resort for workers who are facing attacks on their pay and conditions.

"Our members are striking because they are faced with a concerted attack to axe their wages and conditions to the tune of a million dollars, and after seven months of negotiations they've been left with no other option.

"There's a lot of talk about raising wages in New Zealand and closing the wage gap with Australia but this won't happen when multinational employers like Croxley try to push Kiwi wages down.

NDU national secretary Laila Harre says the dispute highlights the importance of work rights as we head into recession.

"Our members are not going to stand by and let employers use the excuse of recession to cut their pay and conditions because all that means is the cost of the recession is worn by Kiwi workers and that is simply not fair.

"It is at a time like this that it's important for workers to keep and strengthen their work rights so they can take a stand against aggressive employers like Croxley."

The EPMU represents eighty workers at the Avondale site and the NDU represents around fifty workers at Wiri.

ENDS

© Scoop Media