Linesmen protest at telecom's contracts

Transfield workers staged a small but noisy protest at Majestic Square yesterday, with Telecom the object of their wrath.

The workers brandished banners saying "Telecom cares – yeah right" and "Honk if you hate Telecom". Motorists passing down Victoria Ave obliged with a barrage of tooting.

The workers were part of a nationwide strike, protesting job losses and the move to a contract-based workforce.

There will be eight job losses in Wanganui, 12 in New Plymouth, and over 100 more nationwide.

Transfield is the company that carries out lines maintenance work for the Telecom network. Mr Webster said the workers' beef was not with Transfield but with Telecom.

"Transfield is contracted by Telecom, and they are giving them so little funding that Transfield can't sustain the current level of workers."

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union [EPMU] organiser Colin Webster said the nationwide strike was partly in support of Northland Transfield workers, who will be forced to become contract workers.

Mr Webster said the same system would eventually be rolled out throughout the country.
"These guys want a wage – they don't want to be businessmen. They don't want to have to fork out $60,000 each to buy their own business, then make less money than they were before.

"These guys feel pretty strongly about this issue."

Mr Webster said the EPMU was very concerned about the move by many industries to make workers into contractors.

"One of the problems with contractors is that they don't have the time or the money to train apprentices – so how do we encourage young people into the trades?"

Mr Webster said the workers were very encouraged by the support from the public.

"Most people know there are issues with Telecom, but they're not always sure what those issues are."