Will Supermarket Workers Share Record Profits?
Media Release
National Distribution Union
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Will Supermarket Workers Share Record Profits?
Two days of negotiations begin as Woolworths announces record profits
Woolworths will confirm over the next two days of negotiations with the National Distribution Union whether yesterday’s “promise of more to come” included its New Zealand supermarket workers.
Woolworths
Ltd, Australia’s retail giant and owner of Woolworths,
Countdown and Foodtown in New Zealand said that “the best
is yet to come” after the company’s annual sales
increased by one-fifth to A$37.6 billion, bolstered by last
years acquisition of Progressive NZ.
The National
Distribution Union’s ShelfRespect.org campaign is seeking
above-inflation pay rises, an end to youth rates, a
collective bargaining allowance for union members and
ongoing recognition of an extra week’s leave after 6 years
service in wage negotiations with the company.
The
company said June quarter sales in its New Zealand
supermarkets were up 4% on the same quarter last year with
an increase in market share.
“These sales increases
signal bumper profits and supermarket workers will be after
a fair share of those,” said NDU National Secretary, Laila
Harre.
“While the company is doing very nicely,
supermarket workers in the ShelfRespect.org campaign were
not so lucky and would be hit hard by Monday’s announced
4% inflation,” she said.
Laila Harre says that despite adult members at Progressive earning almost $1.50 an hour more than non-union supermarkets, rates remain significantly below 1980’s wages and youth rates remain.
Ms Harre said that New Zealander’s spent $10 billion dollars in supermarkets last year ($1 in every $10 dollars) which gave supermarkets enormous economic power and made it a bigger industry than public health.
Negotiations with Progressive are Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th of July with a cross-Auckland stopwork meeting at the Alexander Racecourse next Thursday 27 July from 9.30 until 11.30.
ENDS
See... Shelf Respect Fact Sheet (PDF)