Bad Friday for Crucified Call Centre Workers

Bad Friday for Crucified Call Centre Workers
British Owners order illegal lockout of minimum wage workers
We know what side Jesus would be on
Unite Union Press Release
8.10pm 10/04/09

Over 30 market research call centre workers in Auckland, who are members of the Unite Union have been illegally locked out today by their employer, British multi-national corporation, Synovate. 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.

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. This lock-out comes two weeks after another market research company owned offshore locked out 60 union members . That dispute was settled with those workers receiving compensation for their lock-out as well as a $1 an hour increase.

Synovate is owned by the Aegis Group based in Britain which made GBP89.2 million in profit last year. In New Zealand Synovate undertakes market research for Ministry of Social Development and ASB Bank.

“These Auckland workers have been crucified over Easter by a multinational corporation that makes millions in profit each year. Synovate treats New Zealand workers as cheap labour and is trying to intimidate their employees to accept poverty wages. We will support these workers in their fight against this bully behaviour and the misuse of power by their employer ”, said Matt McCarten, General Secretary of the Unite Union.

“I know which side Jesus would be on.”

“Synovate clients should expect flying pickets over the weekend and early next week at their offices and shops. These workers will be taking their plight to Synovate’s clients and ask them to tell Synovate not to bully New Zealand workers this way.” concluded Matt McCarten.

The public and media can follow the campaign over the weekend as it unfolds live on http://twitter.com/uniteunion . The Synovate lock out will be the first New Zealand labour dispute ever publicised and recorded by “tweets”, 101 years after the historic 1908 Blackball miner’s strike. A picket will be held outside the offices of Synovate at 26 Aviemore Drive, Highland Park, East Auckland, on Saturday morning at 10am.

ENDS

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