Fairfax workers strike again

October 14, 2005

Fairfax workers strike again

Workers at the Fairfax-owned Kapiti Observer are on strike again today as their pay dispute drags on.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that seven workers walked off the job this morning after resoundingly rejecting a new pay offer.

“The company lifted its offer to a 3.5 per cent pay rise and a $600 one-off payment this year, with another three per cent rise next year,” he said.

“However, it is refusing to back-date the agreement to the expiry of the old agreement on June 30, which means that workers would miss a lot of back pay.”

Mr Little said that the workers had dropped their claim for a five per cent pay rise this year to 4.5 per cent plus a cash bonus.

The Kapiti Observer is part of the Fairfax-owned Capital Community Newspapers. Mr Little said that workers at other newspapers in the group – the Wellingtonian, the Kapi-Mana News, the Hutt News and the Upper Hutt Leader – had also overwhelmingly rejected the latest offer, and had voted for industrial action.

ENDS

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