A strike notice has been issued by FIRST Union members at oil and gas service company SGS, instructing the company that workers will withdraw their labour from October 19 as talks stall over pay increases in line with inflation and the rising cost of living, FIRST Union said today.

SSG is a multinational oil and gas service company with over 800 employees in Aotearoa, ranging among FIRST Union’s membership from contractors at the former Marsden Point’s new import terminal to those working in various service roles across Mount Maunganui, Napier and New Plymouth. As essential workers under the Employment Relations Act, they are required to submit a notice of intention to strike in advance.

"The sentiment among our members is that their wages haven’t kept up with the rising cost of living over the last few years and it has reached a breaking point during this bargaining period," said Justin Wallace, FIRST Union organiser.

"They’ve rejected a recent pay offer from the company that would only take them backwards with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 7.3% and food prices expected to continue to inflate beyond a 12-year high in Stats NZ’s next food price index."

"Strike action was proposed as progress stalled during negotiations and was unanimously voted for by our members, who include jetty operators, wharf operators and assistants, supervisors and shore officers, among many others."

"The message from our members to SGS’s management is that the status quo isn’t good enough when the cost of everything else in life keeps going up."

"They want meaningful pay increases that mitigate these rising costs and compensate them fairly for what is skilled and difficult work."

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