Workers to protest over missing pay

Workers to protest over missing pay

Workers [who were made redundant from the Blue Dove Health/Pacificare Trust aged care facility in Mangere last month] will be picketing outside Guardian Trust [48 Shortland St, Auckland] at 4pm this afternoon.

The workers were left without their final pay or holiday pay, when their employment was terminated on 31 January, following the withdrawal of the contract for the facility by Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB), says New Zealand Nurses Organisation Organiser Sarah Barker.

“Guardian Trust was the mortgagee in possession of Pacificare Trust and received the funds from Counties Manukau District Health Board to run the facility.”, she says.

“However, since the facility has closed down, there has been confusion about who the employer is, and who now owes the workers the remaining wages.”

Despite attempts by the two unions on site – the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota - the situation still remains unresolved, and the workers are facing financial hardship.

“Guardian Trust advised NZNO on February 3 that they were trying to 'force' a wages payment to the Mangere East Trust. Nothing happened. By 6pm, Guardian advised NZNO that another trust, called the Primero Trust, a private family trust that Guardian acts for in its capacity as trustee, had appointed a receiver over the assets of the Pacificare Trust. They said that they were no longer the mortgagee in possession.”

“Union members are angry that their wages were there that morning, but gone by the afternoon. We want to know where the money went. The receiver told the union that if we can provide evidence of who the employer is, then the employees will be the preferential creditors. But the employees should not have to prove who the employer is to get their pay.” says Sarah Barker.

ENDS

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