Disability workers will be making their concerns loud and clear at a rally at 2pm tomorrow to protest the suspension without pay of 38 workers at disability residential care provider Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Trust.

Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Trust is the country’s largest kaupapa Māori community disability provider. It operates residential whare in Te Tai Tokerau/Northland, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Waikato, Waitaha/Canterbury, and a residential mental health whare in Whangārei.

The trust CE Karen Smith late on Friday afternoon gave notice of suspension of 38 workers who support people living at Te Roopu Taurima houses without pay for six weeks in response to low level strike action taken in support of their collective agreement.

"This is an oppressive over-reaction designed to intimidate and bully these workers. It’s unheard of for New Zealand employers to adopt such a hostile tactic in these circumstances," said Fleur Fitzsimons National Secretary Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"The strike action only involved not doing some tasks in order to try and put pressure on the employer to listen to these workers."

"The trust has a vision to ‘strive to place tāngata at the heart of our services’, this shows the trust is not living its own values.

"Many of these workers are Māori, Pasifika, and migrant workers who deserve fair wages and conditions."

The action comes after Te Roopu Taurima tried to introduce harsh terms of employment including restrictions on secondary employment and 90 day trials as well as a pay increase that fails to meet the increased cost of living facing these workers and their whānau.

The PSA and Te Roopu Taurima attended independent and confidential facilitation run by an Employment Relations Authority member in Auckland over four days. The Authority member then provided recommendations to settle the collective agreement.

"The PSA did not get everything we wanted but nevertheless agreed that we would recommend the outcomes to our members. Te Roopu Taurima was still not satisfied though.

"This is an insight into the future of industrial relations in New Zealand under this government. It has emboldened employers to try to take away the small number of remaining employment rights that working people have and use every underhand tactic they can to get there.

"Workers and the community must stand up and fight back."

What: Protest rally
When: 2pm Sunday 8 June
Where: Te Roopu Taurima Head Office, 650 Great South Road, Auckland

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