Troy McGuinness
A 48-hour strike by 500 National Distribution Union members in three New Zealand cities has turned into all-out war. The workers were locked out of supermarket distribution centres when they took strike action on August 25. Progressive Enterprises, owned by Australian-based Woolworths, reneged on a deal made with the NDU to implement a national collective bargaining agreement.
Workers are currently paid different rates at different distribution centres. Union members say they will return to work when the company agrees to negotiations.
Scabs, who have crossed picket lines under police escort, have been offered individual contracts and pay rises, breaking "good faith" negotiations between workers and Progressive.
Thirty-seven unions affiliated to the NZ Council of Trade Unions met on September 8 and agreed to step up efforts to support the locked-out workers, including the possibility of spreading industrial action to other unions to exert financial pressure on Progressive.
The workers have been locked-out for more than four weeks, but support for them is flooding in from all over New Zealand. On September 15 NZCTU secretary Carol Beaumont said that public support for the workers had been "humbling and overwhelming". "Collections in Wellington are averaging over [NZ]$1000 daily, and $3000 was raised during two hours of collecting in Auckland this week. We are also receiving unsolicited donations to our office daily."
"The level of public support indicates to us that the New Zealand community is firmly behind these workers", she said. "The public clearly understand the issues and what is at stake. They do not agree with the bullying tactics of this large Australian company and are anxious to help in whatever way they can."
In Paekakariki, residents have launched an appeal to "adopt" locked-out Progressive Enterprises forklift driver Darrin Moffitt, who works in Palmerston North, and his family. The residents' aim is to support the family for the duration of the lockout.
At a Progressive Enterprises supermarket in Tauranga, a group of customers blocked aisles with full trolleys of goods on September 14 to protest against Progressive's treatment of its workers.
Australian unions are starting to organise solidarity with the workers, donating around $15,000.
Around 30% of Progressive's products are supplied from overseas, a significant amount coming from Australia. Support from overseas unions, in particular Australian unions, could be critical to the outcome of this dispute.
On September 13, around 50 people rallied outside a Safeway supermarket in the centre of Melbourne (Woolworths owns Safeway, Food For Less and Flemings supermarkets in Australia).
[For updates on the dispute, visit <http://www.shelfrespect.org>.]