AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

1 December 2006

Auckland City work stoppages

A number of Auckland City employees have, through their union, announced their intention to stop work for a period next week as part of ongoing union discussions regarding pay.

Service levels for customers, residents and ratepayers may be disrupted but will be monitored to ensure there is no serious disruption to customer service.

Auckland City’s general manager of organisation performance Trish Langridge says the council regrets any inconvenience to customers that may result.

“We do note that staff who are union members have had regular pay reviews resulting in average pay increases of 4 percent this year and 3.7 percent in previous years.”

“Auckland City manages its finances very carefully and managers have been advised that staff who take stop-work action should be suspended without pay for the period of the action,” said Ms Langridge.

The collective employment agreement at issue expired on 2 May this year. Negotiations to reach a new agreement were underway prior to the May expiry and have continued through to October. The union – the PSA – has held stop work meetings over the last two weeks to brief their members on the bargaining.

Because Auckland City is still currently in bargaining with the union, the details of the negotiations will not be disclosed.

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