Community comes out in support of Pact workers action for fair deal

Members of the Otago community will gather in central Dunedin today to support mental health and intellectual disabilities workers at Pact, who after months of failed bargaining with their employer are taking industrial action.

Industrial action starts today with a paperwork ban followed by two hour stop work meetings on 26 October.

“Members of the wider community, including members of local unions, want to show their support for PSA and SFWU members at Pact in their quest for a fair pay rise for the job they do,” says PSA organiser Jon Henning.

“We’ll be gathering at 12pm today at the Octagon and marching to Pact’s office in Filleul Street.

“In its own reports, Pact says it’s had a great financial year, but despite that, all it brought to the table was a miserable 1 percent pay rise for PSA and SFWU members, when the cost of living has gone up by 5.3 percent,” says Jon Henning.

“Our union team came to mediation on Monday hoping to resolve this dispute and avoid taking industrial action, but Pact simply wouldn’t move from their 1 percent position,” said union advocate and Service and Food Workers Union organiser Ann Galloway.  

“Our members know the community values their significant contribution through supporting some of our most vulnerable residents. Pact workers work hard and deserve better,” says Ann Galloway.

ENDS

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