Fri, 29 Oct 2004

Worker disciplined for wearing badge Union to challenge Sky City casino

A Service & Food Workers' Union (SFWU) member, working on the gaming floor at Sky City Auckland, faced disciplinary action this week after refusing to remove a badge celebrating Labour Day. The worker received a written warning in yesterday’s disciplinary meeting, a decision that his union, the Service & Food Workers’ Union (SFWU) says they will challenge.

Over 400 other SFWU members at Sky City wore badges on the same day, however the company management has singled out one worker for disciplinary action.

“We believe that union members have the right to wear union badges, particularly on Labour Day. We consider Sky City's actions discriminate against this worker and we will be challenging Sky’s decision.” said SFWU National Secretary Darien Fenton

SFWU members at Sky City as well as National Distribution Union (NDU) members at Progressive Supermarkets wore the small button badges to celebrate the Labour Day with slogans such as “I’m Union” and “Proud 2 B Union.”

Sky City has maintained that wearing union badges breaches their dress and uniform policy. However, union members regularly wear other badges and ribbons to work which they are not asked to remove including ANZAC poppies, breast cancer ribbons and cancer awareness daffodils.

“Sky City’s reaction is over the top and steps on our members’ freedom to associate,” says Ms Fenton. “Simply put, Sky City is using a sledgehammer to break a walnut.”

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>