Pressure Mounts On Pak’n’Save As Largest Store In NZ To Strike – First Union
WHAT:
Supermarket workers from Pak’n’Save Lincoln Road in Auckland – the largest supermarket in New Zealand – will strike today after failing to negotiate a fair agreement with the franchise owner that would include liveable wages and an increased night-fill allowance.
Workers are walking off the job and protesting outside the supermarket.
WHEN:
Saturday 22 May, 12:00-13:00
WHERE:
Outside Pak’n’Save Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auckland
WHY:
“This is the second Pak’n’Save franchise store to take industrial action this month, and it shows us again why the franchise model for supermarkets doesn’t work,” said Hela Rahman, FIRST Union organiser.
“This is one of the busiest supermarkets in Auckland and staff have been working for almost two months without signing a new Collective Agreement with the owner.”
“They’re frustrated by the owner’s rejection of living wages and inability to address systemic issues like understaffing and the unsociable hours worked by night-fill staff without recognition.”
“It also reminds you why Fair Pay Agreements for supermarket workers are so overdue – you can work in one Foodstuffs store in Auckland and earn a living wage, but not in others.”
Now this union talks about fair pay agreements for supermarkets… But do they have 1000 members or 10% of the industry? Perhaps they can demonstrate a public interest case? No? In the meantime this union continues to make promises to it’s members that it is unable to fulfil, while utilizing their preferred course of industrial action (usually promoted on this blogsite in retrospect??) Latte socialist activists often do not make good negotiators…