SkyCity employees have started negotiations over a new Collective Agreement. A central claim is for a $15 an hour minimum wage with proportionate increases for all staff. To meet this demand wage rates would need to increase by 6-7%.

We want to ensure no worker employed by SkyCity is subject to the 90-day fire at will law and they retain the right to nominate a lieu day with two-weeks’ notice. Other claims include increasing the security of hours for part time staff, protections for casual staff, coverage of salaried staff and increased redundancy compensation.

Initial responses from the company are not very hopeful despite huge profits being made and big expansion plans for facilities on their Auckland site.

The two unions on site (SEA-Unite and the SFWU) are negotiating together and have 800 and 300 members respectively. This is a majority of front line staff.

If the attitude of the company does not change then industrial action can be expected to begin when the current agreement expires at midnight on New Year’s Eve. It could be a great time to kick off the 2011 campaign to lift the wages of workers in the Hotels and entertainment industries that hope to profit from this being World Cup year. We are encouraging all union members in Auckland to plan their New Year’s Eve Party below the Sky Tower, it could be more entertaining than the usual fireworks.

The Negotiating Team from left: Pam Lanumata, Olivia Cruz, Len Richards, Lynette Slade, Michael Withers, Tina Barnett, Chris Tatton-Brown, Pat Killalea, Henry Stanley, Mike Treen, Candy Sherman, Ashok Dutta, Rishi Sharma

SEA-Unite and SFWU joint newsletter December 2010 #1