RHIZOMES
13th April 2009, 04:43
http://workersparty.org.nz/2009/04/13/solidarity-to-support-the-locked-out-workers-at-synovate/
Over 30 market research call centre workers in Auckland, who are members of the Unite Union have been illegally locked out on Easter Friday by their employer, British multi-national corporation, Synovate.
http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image070.jpg?w=128&h=96 (http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image070.jpg)
The corporation’s New Zealand managers were instructed by their British senior managers to lock-out the New Zealand workforce after they turned down a pay offer of a measly 20 cents an hour.
The company locked the workers out and padlocked the front entrance of the building. The managers put up a notice telling the non union workers to sneak in by the back door. In response to this Union officials and members added their own locks to the front door and used cars and locks to block all other entrances to the building.
http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image063.jpg?w=300&h=225 (http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image063.jpg)
Locked in
This effectively locked the bosses inside for two hours until the union allowed one car to be moved to allow delegates to enter the building to continue the negotiations
Almost all the employees are paid the minimum wage. Yet Synovate, pays their workers in Australia $22 an hour for the same work and increased their wages by 3.5% in January. After six months of negotiations their New Zealand workers are being told that they will stay locked out until they accept Synovate’s 20 cents an hour offer with possibly of another 15 cents an hour in 6 months.
Like hundreds of other call centre workers the Synovate workers are part of the Unite Union’s Calling for Change campaign to improve wages and conditions in Auckland call centres. Synovate workers went on hunger strike in February to draw attention to their low wages and sweatshop conditions.
Synovate is owned by the Aegis Group based in Britain which made £89.2 million in profit last year. In New Zealand Synovate undertakes market research for Ministry of Social Development and ASB Bank.
In solidarity with Auckland, Unite union Wellington members, volunteers and supporters will picket the Ministry of Social Development. The picket will take place at noon, Tuesday April 14th Ministry of Social Development office, Bowen State Building, Bowen St, Wellington. Please support this worthwhile action if you can.
This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Industrial Relations Legislation (http://en.wordpress.com/tag/industrial-relations-legislation/), Workers in Struggle (http://en.wordpress.com/tag/workers-in-struggle/). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 (http://workersparty.org.nz/2009/04/13/solidarity-to-support-the-locked-out-workers-at-synovate/feed/) feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Over 30 market research call centre workers in Auckland, who are members of the Unite Union have been illegally locked out on Easter Friday by their employer, British multi-national corporation, Synovate.
http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image070.jpg?w=128&h=96 (http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image070.jpg)
The corporation’s New Zealand managers were instructed by their British senior managers to lock-out the New Zealand workforce after they turned down a pay offer of a measly 20 cents an hour.
The company locked the workers out and padlocked the front entrance of the building. The managers put up a notice telling the non union workers to sneak in by the back door. In response to this Union officials and members added their own locks to the front door and used cars and locks to block all other entrances to the building.
http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image063.jpg?w=300&h=225 (http://workerspartynz.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/image063.jpg)
Locked in
This effectively locked the bosses inside for two hours until the union allowed one car to be moved to allow delegates to enter the building to continue the negotiations
Almost all the employees are paid the minimum wage. Yet Synovate, pays their workers in Australia $22 an hour for the same work and increased their wages by 3.5% in January. After six months of negotiations their New Zealand workers are being told that they will stay locked out until they accept Synovate’s 20 cents an hour offer with possibly of another 15 cents an hour in 6 months.
Like hundreds of other call centre workers the Synovate workers are part of the Unite Union’s Calling for Change campaign to improve wages and conditions in Auckland call centres. Synovate workers went on hunger strike in February to draw attention to their low wages and sweatshop conditions.
Synovate is owned by the Aegis Group based in Britain which made £89.2 million in profit last year. In New Zealand Synovate undertakes market research for Ministry of Social Development and ASB Bank.
In solidarity with Auckland, Unite union Wellington members, volunteers and supporters will picket the Ministry of Social Development. The picket will take place at noon, Tuesday April 14th Ministry of Social Development office, Bowen State Building, Bowen St, Wellington. Please support this worthwhile action if you can.
This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Industrial Relations Legislation (http://en.wordpress.com/tag/industrial-relations-legislation/), Workers in Struggle (http://en.wordpress.com/tag/workers-in-struggle/). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 (http://workersparty.org.nz/2009/04/13/solidarity-to-support-the-locked-out-workers-at-synovate/feed/) feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.