E tลซ members at BlueScope Pacific Steel in Auckland will strike for a second time for 24 hours, from 7am on Wednesday, 19 September in protest over 6 months of stalled pay talks.
The strike affects about 120 members at Pacific Steelโs rolling mill and wire mill.
Also, at 7am on Wednesday, about 750 members from BlueScopeโs NZ Steel mill at Glenbrook will strike for 12 hours.
Union members voted to strike over the low-ball pay offers BlueScope has presented to its workers both here and in Australia, where BlueScope members in Port Kembla have begun rolling strike action.
E tลซ Industry Coordinator, Joe Gallagher says BlueScope refuses to budge on their offer, despite posting a huge profit of AUD$1.6 billion this year.
BlueScopeโs New Zealand companies lifted earnings by 80% – the highest return in the business.
โWhile our Government is committed to lifting wages, internationally employers are coordinating a strategy to hold wages down,โ says Joe.
โThere is a clear and growing trend of top multi-national companies presenting low pay offers, despite big profits. Weโre seeing this in the mining sector, with the low-ball offer to our members at OceanaGold, and other sectors are sending the same message.โ
At NZ Steel, workers had a pay rise of just one percent over the past two years and also gave up their bonuses, saving BlueScope millions of dollars.
โFairโs fair,โ says Joe. โItโs time to give back to the workers who took a hit when times were tough. This is hot, dirty and hazardous work and yes, our members get paid for that.
โBut this is a dispute about a company thatโs delivered an eye-watering profit and thinking itโs ok to offer a mean-spirited pay rise to its highly skilled steel workers. It isnโt.โ