Email Reveals Union’s Real Agenda and Strike Tactics

An email to strike leaders from SFWU Northern Secretary, Jill Ovens, has revealed the agenda of its current strike is to get rid of private contractors from the public health sector.

Jill Ovens writes: “It'd be really great if an outcome of all this was that the DHBs got rid of Spotless altogether and, even better, if it started political momentum to get rid of contractors out of the public sector.”

For the past two weeks, Spotless Services has come under constant attack from the Service and Food Workers Union for allegedly blocking wages to its staff. This has always been completely untrue. In fact, Spotless staff have been taken out on strike by the union, are going out of pocket, for wages they are already guaranteed.

The email also contains a description of some interesting strike tactics.

The full email reads as follows:

From: Jill Ovens
Sent: Thursday, 19 July 20077:12 a.m.
To: Alvin Livingstone; Anthony Hiron; Brenda Marshall; Buzz
Worley; Christine Grant; Craig Muir; Deirdre Stewart; Fala
Haulangi; Helen Mitchell; Iriaka Rauhihi; Jacquie Hurst;
Jane Ballantyne; Jennifer Natoli; Jody Toroa; Kate Barrett;
Kickyano Lie; Kirsty Mccully; Lee Mydlowski; Lynda Boyd;
Marina Kokanovic; Mary-Ann de Kort; Mihirawhiti Searancke;
Natalie Symmons; Nicki Jonas; No'ora Samuela; Peter Shannon;
Reynold Slade; Rupene Amato; Russ Revell; Shane Vugler;
Sisilia Toutai; Tim Oldfield; Vivian Watson; Wendy Aspin
Subject: Pressure is working!

Hi

The pressure is working! John Ryall had a call from Spotless
HR manager Linda Hart last night asking for "without
prejudice" discussions today. Let your members know all
their actions and sacrifice is having an effect. They are
coming to us to talk, not the other way round. But we can't
let up!

If you can get into the hospitals today in small groups with
delegates to monitor what is happening (or not happening)
that would be good. Record actual data about times the
trayline went out, toilets that were found to be filthy,
etc. If you can get clipboards, all the better as it looks
serious. The mere fact that you're writing it down, and
doing so openly, will be of concern to the Spotless bosses.
Besides, it's good evidence to use for the media.

While your "monitors" are in the hospital, they should talk
to nurses and other staff to encourage them to file
complaints and incident forms. Also, to collect donations.
This really needs to be done one-to-one. Just handing out
flyers won't get the response.

On the subject of donations, you could stop traffic at an
intersection, or coming in and out of hospital grounds, to
collect money in buckets. When we did the Middlemore
security guards strike, we stopped traffic at the pedestrian
crossing by the picket line. Just get members to cross the
road every now and again and then while the traffic backs up
, someone else goes down and asks for donations from the
waiting cars.

Tomorrow is the big rally outside Spotless HQ in Auckland.
We're giving them the boot! It'd be really great if an
outcome of all this was that the DHBs got rid of Spotless
altogether and, even better, if it started political
momentum to get rid of contractors out of the public sector.

You're doing a great job. We're going to win and hopefully
it will be soon!

Yours Jill

ends

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