Update: Meat workers at six of eight AFFCO meat processing plants have commenced strike action from 5am this morning.

NDU finally complete sought after merger.

In a bid to ward off anticipated Rugby World Cup absenteeism, Sky City has offered its staff a cash bonus to come to work as rostered during the tournament.

Thousands of workers from Kaitaia to Bluff will stop work for two hours on Wednesday to attend union meetings protesting against the Government's employment laws, says the Council of Trade Unions (CTU).

The CTU has been vocal in its opposition to new employment laws, which include extending the 90-day probation period to all businesses, requiring greater justification for sick days and making changes to union access to workplaces.

The Employment Relations Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament a couple of months ago.

Fonterra and the Dairy Workers Union have confirmed that the two parties have reached a resolution concerning the new Collective Employment Agreement.

After negotiations went nasty, the DWU, representing Fonterra’s truck drivers and factory workers, had threatened to go on partial strike on November 17th.

Both parties announced that after two days of mediation there has been a resolution that DWU national secretary James Ritchie is happy with the outcome.