The Gateway hotel dispute has ended after a 5-week lockout, with the union members getting a pay out.
For months the boss obstructed all attempts to get a collective agreement. Fed up, the staff went on strike on August 1. Two days later they were locked out.
During the lockout the boss began contracting out the kitchen and restaurant work. The 12 locked out staff were sacked with little prospect of getting their jobs back. While there was every chance the courts would have ruled against the employer and ordered him to take back the workers, there was nothing to prevent the employer pursuing his plan to contract out. He made it clear that he would make them all redundant, and there were no redundancy provisions in their individual contracts.
The staff stood up to an extremely belligerent boss. Faced with a choice of standing up for their rights or accepting the boss’ bullying tactics they chose to fight. The dispute cost the employer tens of thousands of dollars and sent a message to other employers that hotel workers can put up solid resistance to bosses who treat them with contempt.

To the Seafarers Union, Watersiders Union, Amalgamated Workers Union, National Distribution Union, Centra hotel workers, Grand Chancellor hotel workers, Kiwi hotel workers, EFL workers, Baycorp staff, Unions Auckland, National Distribution Union executive, NDU office staff, Simon, Mark, Jock, Ruth, Terry,Colin, Alastair, Howick & Eastern drivers, Ben and lots of people whose names we don’t know.

Thank you for supporting us throughout the dispute

Unite members at Gateway