Colgate-Palmolive Workers Demand 5%
Energetic union picket at Petone factory this morning.
About 60 workers and supporters picketed outside the Petone Colgate-Palmolive factory this morning. At 7am the picket was already going strong with chants of "Colgate - cheapskates" and "What do we want? 5%" and passing motorists and train drivers tooting their support.
The action was part of the country-wide union campaign for 5% pay increases to keep wages from being effectively lowered by inflation. Signs and banners indicated support from the National Distribution Union (NDU) and the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).
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Re: Colgate-Palmolive Workers Demand 5%
once again thanks to everyone who turned out - I'd just like to point out 5% puts us 1.5-2% past projected inflation the EPMU has been getting CPI sized increases for some years now but this time we want to stop treading water. We figure it's time workers started getting ahead. Unfortunately the 88% of workers not in unions have been slipping behind inflation since 91. While we can only negotiate for our members we aim to drive wages up across the board. I can't stress enough how important it is to get unionised - once we're all in there's no way we can lose. for those of you who don't want to get involved in an affiliated union (like the EPMU) there are plenty of wildcat unions doing really good work (the Autonomous Workers Union in Dunedin springs to mind.)
Solidarity
Rob
Re: Colgate-Palmolive Workers Demand 5%
I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the EPMU were expressly stating their aim to drive wages up by 5% across the board for all workers.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by affiliated union, I assume you mean to the CTU. While the CTU comes across often with the force of a moist tissue it's only indicative of the state of the whole union movement, and is often more radical than some of its larger member unions when it comes to social issues.
There aren't that many unions that don't belong to the CTU that welcome new members who are activists particularly from small or difficult workplaces.
While we could start a local up here of the AWU, I'm not sure what this would achieve, it is still explicitly reformist and the same work is being very well by Unite! Wellington which is affiliated to the CTU.
Personally I'd recommend getting involved with Unite! if you don't have a union that fits you in Wellington.
Regardless of this it was great to help play a small part in this workers' campaign, and to be welcomed by not only the workers themselves, but also the organisers from the union. I hope this happens again.
Re: Colgate-Palmolive Workers Demand 5%
Did people read this on the news this morning. Looks like the EPMU leadership are making a retreat already...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3239849a11,00.html
Employers offered wage deal
07 April 2005
By LOUISE BLEAKLEY
The country's largest union says it will back down on its 5 per cent pay claim where employers can prove they cannot afford it.
About 2000 unionists turned out at Addington Raceway yesterday to support the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union's (EPMU) Fair Share 5 in 05 campaign for a minimum 5 per cent wage rise.
Fresh negotiations start today over the metal trade's multi- employer contract agreement (Meca) between the EPMU and employers after months of growing industrial unrest.
EPMU southern regional operations director Ged O'Connell said pressure had already been taken off two employers who proved they were not able to raise wages by 5 per cent. "A couple of employers have come to say, 'Look at our books; we can't give them a 5 per cent pay rise'."
Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend said expecting employers to prove their ability to pay higher wages was unfair.
"That's like being found guilty until you're proven innocent," he said. "Why should people who are taking risks by running their company expose their books to people who are making unreason able demands?"
A blanket wage increase did not have relevance to what employers could pay and what individual employees earned, he said.
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"There's a very good reason why people get paid more. It's because they contribute more."
There was a direct relationship between performance and wages, Townsend said.
O'Connell said given reports of 7 per cent pay increases for managers and 25 per cent increases for chief executives, employees felt justified in demand ing a 5 per cent wage rise.
He expressed concern over perceived efforts by employers to discourage employees from joining unions.
Employers worked hard to divide employees and discourage them from joining collective contracts, he said.
Union staff would be on the lookout for employers who negated the union's ability to bargain by enticing employees to individual contracts with higher salary offers. "It undermines us when an employer can stand there and say, 'Don't join them; we will give you more than what they got'."
A printing industry employee received loud applause when he suggested the union support tax cuts so increases were not neutralised when employees moved into higher tax brackets.
However, EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said cutting taxes could result in poorer public services.
"It's not an easy answer to say let's cut taxes," he said. "It's a cheap and easy way out. This campaign is about getting our fair share of what those businesses are making."
BP Connect Edgeware shift supervisor and union site delegate John Walker said his colleagues were asking for a wage increase because of the constant upskilling staff needed to carry out their roles.
Staff had to keep up to date with changing computer technology and new health and safety rules, he said. "We are going through upskilling but we are not being recognised in our pay."
Their boss was "very upset" about their decision to leave work for the 90-minute rally, he said.
Re: Colgate-Palmolive Workers Demand 5%
Good to see some action from the workers at Colgate Palmbly bocolive. Iam affraid that the EPMU bosses will probably botch the whole thing up, as they couldnt organise a decent shit in a laxative factory.
As for having a supervisor for a delegate, is that for real, why not just pay your union fee to the boss for shafting you, instead of paying the EPMU to shaft you.