Workers at CHEP service centre in Auckland – one of Aotearoa’s largest pallet suppliers – have voted unanimously in favour of a new agreement that contains meaningful pay increases, overtime rates for weekend work and a sign-on bonus after over a fortnight on strike, including an indefinite withdrawal of labour, FIRST Union said today.
“We’re very happy to confirm that FIRST Union members at CHEP have voted ‘yes’ to a new Collective Agreement following mediated bargaining on Wednesday this week,” said Mark Muller, FIRST Union Secretary for Transport, Logistics and Manufacturing.
“It has taken guts and resolve to withdraw their labour over the last two weeks, and it shows that solidarity and this kind of firm commitment is necessary to achieve great things.”
“The new agreement will see the vast majority of staff at the Penrose plant earning a living wage or higher, with back-paid wage rises above 6% per annum, and further increases locked in from later in the year.”
“It also contains important improvements to conditions at work, including overtime rates for weekend shifts as well as a sign-on bonus of $500 for union members.”
“I’m enormously proud of our members, who sacrificed a lot in order to show their worth, and it has resulted in meaningful improvements to their situation when the cost of living is sky-high and times have been very tough.”
“This is the first settlement agreed under FIRST Union’s Big Fix campaign, which is about supporting our members to fight for significant pay rises while labour conditions favour it, and I don’t think it will be the last.”
