CTU MEDIA RELEASE
08 September 2006

CTU Special Meeting Resolution

At a special affiliates meeting of the Council of Trade Unions a short time ago, the following resolution was passed.

*Progressive Enterprises Dispute*

*Resolution of Special Meeting of affiliated unions of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions held at the Wellington Town Hall Friday 8th September 2006*

This meeting of affiliated unions of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions representing more than 350,000 working New Zealanders:

- Supports the claims of the locked out distribution workers and the principle of pay parity for the same job in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch.

- Supports the claims of the supermarket worker members of the National Distribution Union in their negotiations, and the strike action by members of the NZ Meat Workers Union in support of their claims, against Progressive Enterprises.

- Condemns the action of Woolworths Australia in locking out 600 members of the National Distribution Union and Engineering Printing & Manufacturing Union members in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch with the objective of starving them into withdrawing their claims.

- Acknowledges the growing support for the distribution workers both within New Zealand and in Australia from union members, the broader community, and the assistance from the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

AND RESOLVES:

- That each union, separately and collectively, will continue to take every possible action to support the NDU, the EPMU and their distribution worker members to achieve a fair settlement of their dispute and, in particular will:

- Continue and intensify the organisation of funding support for the locked out distribution members and their families

- Consider and provide all possible action, industrial and other, to support the resolution of this dispute by a just settlement.

- Call on their members and their families to provide visible and vocal support for the locked out workers and their families.

- That international union organisations be alerted to the serious principles at stake in this dispute and asked to provide all possible solidarity support.

- That the CTU give consideration to the development of proposals for legislative action to provide greater protection to vulnerable workers.

ENDS

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