4 August 2017

Industrial action by parking staff: Council stance

Wellington City Council’s Chief Operating Officer, Barbara McKerrow, has the following comments on this afternoon’s planned strike action by E tu union members working for the Council’s Parking Services unit:

· This is not a wage dispute.

· Wellington City Council is the first large public-sector employer in the country to pay the living wage rate. Parking Services staff are included.

· We brought the parking services in-house in 2014 and increased staff wages to the then-living wage. We are now increasing that again to the current living wage rate ($20.20/hour).

· We are puzzled and disappointed by this action, but have agreed to keep to talking with the union.

· Some 17 of our parking services staff are not E tu members – so there will still be an enforcement presence in Wellington this afternoon. Motorists can still expect to be ticketed if the park over-time or park dangerously or inconsiderately.

ends

© Scoop Media