International pressure to be put on Progressive Enterprises

Ross Wilson

National and international unions are set to add their weight to the stalemate between locked out distribution workers and supermarket giant Progressive Enterprises, in the hope of exerting financial pressure on the multi-billion-dollar company.

The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) held a special meeting in Wellington today, hosting representatives of 37 unions representing 350,000 New Zealand union members.

The delegates at the meeting today agreed all 37 unions would support the claims of the 600 locked out workers, while also backing the actions of Progressive supermarket workers, currently in pay negotiations, and striking members of the NZ Meat Workers Union.

The group condemned the lock out action of Progressive, and acknowledged the support across unions in New Zealand and Australia, and the wider community.

The unions resolved to take "every possible action", industrial or otherwise, to support the National Distribution Union and Engineering, Manufacturing and Printing Union in their efforts to achieve fair settlement of the dispute.

They also resolved to raise funds for the workers; to advise international unions of the principles at stake and ask for their support; and to examine legal options.

About 600 of Progressive's distribution workers went on strike on August 25 in support of their bid for a national collective agreement.

Progressive said this was non-negotiable and the workers were locked out three days later.

Mediation has failed to find a resolution.

CTU president Ross Wilson said workers from the picket lines in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch addressed the meeting, speaking of the hardship they were facing after more than two weeks without pay.

Despite the hardline approach taken by Progressive, Mr Wilson said the workers would not give in.

Two key objectives had emerged from the meeting - the primary one being to raise financial support for the locked out workers.

Mr Wilson said New Zealand union members would all be asked to offer their support, and there were already "big donations" coming in from Australian unions.

Unions from the United States would also be approached.

The second initiative would be to look at what industrial action could be taken both here and overseas to exert financial pressure on Progressive.

The unions would look at the possibility of preventing Progressive products being shipped in to New Zealand from Australia, with the assistance of the Maritime Union and its Australian affiliates.

Other options available through the unions' international affiliates would also be examined, Mr Wilson said.

It was a serious situation, and the unions were resolved to support the workers and prevent them from being "bullied into starvation" by Progressive, owned by Australia's second-largest company, Woolworths Australia.

Mr Wilson acknowledged the difficulty in exerting financial pressure on a business group which recorded a $1.21 billion profit last year, up 24.3 per cent from the previous year.

However, he said there was wide-reaching support and strong resolve to increase pressure on Progressive, and support the workers.

"Never in my whole career as a union official, which is more than 30 years, have I seen such determination," Mr Wilson said.

Meanwhile unionist Andrew Little today challenged all MPs to match or beat a $200 donation to the locked-out worker fund, given by cabinet minister Steve Maharey.

He said Mr Maharey was a man of "conscience and principle" and added politicians from both the left and right had donated funds to picket lines over the years.

He said National MPs could choose to offer their donations anonymously if they preferred.

- NZPA