13 October 2011

Sanford workers to strike over pitiful pay offer

Service and Food Workers Union Ngā Ringa Tota members employed by Sanford in Havelock have voted to take strike action in response to the company’s latest pay offer.

SFWU spokesperson John Cumming said the pitiful pay offer would see many taking weekly pay cuts of up $67.50. Yesterday 99% of SFWU members voted in favour of taking strike action to show Sanford how disappointed they are in the attitude the company is taking to the pay talks.

“These workers are telling Sanford to show them the respect they deserve and come back to the bargaining table with an offer that shows a genuine commitment to staff rather than asking staff to fund their own pay rise,” said John Cumming.

Sanford has offered workers on hourly rates a pay rise of approximately $12 a week before tax and offered nothing to workers on piece work doing the manual opening of mussels. The company also planned to remove the current night shift allowance of $1.50 per hour.

“This is a pitiful offer for some workers and nothing for mussel openers on the day shift,” said John Cumming. “It gets worse for those on the night shift. Hourly rate night shift workers are being asked to give up their weekly night shift allowance of $67.50 in exchange for the $12 increase. That’s $55 less in their pay packet each week. The mussel openers are being asked to give up their $67.50 night shift allowance and they are being offered nothing in return.”

John Cumming said the workers were already on low pay, with a start rate of only $13.00 — the minimum wage. Many have not had a pay rise in two years.

According to documents on the Sanford website, shareholders were paid $21.5 million in dividends last year and in the first six months of this year the company has made a profit of $13.1 million. In the seven months to July 2011 mussel volume rose by 18% and the market price rose by 26%.

“It is unbelievable that the very people who make those figures possible are being asked to take a pay cut,” said John Cumming. “With inflation at 5.3% these workers have already seen a reduction in their spending power by $30 a week and Sanford wants to take another $67.50 away from them. That’s almost $100 a week out of low paid workers’ pockets. That is an unacceptable position for any company to take.”

ENDS

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