Work on Transpower's North Island grid upgrade will be disrupted by industrial action from workers upset that Australians employed on the project are being paid more.The Engineering Manufacturing and Printing Union issued a strike notice during the weeken
Work on Transpower's North Island grid upgrade will be disrupted by industrial action from workers upset that Australians employed on the project are being paid more.
The Engineering Manufacturing and Printing Union issued a strike notice during the weekend warning of strike action from October 26 by about 40 workers employed by contractor United Group Ltd (UGL).
"We are taking this action as a last resort after UGL told us they will continue to bring in Australian workers and to pay them up to three times the rate New Zealanders currently receive for the same type of work on the power link," said Joe Gallagher, EPMU's national industry organiser for the electrical sector.
"The Australian workers the company has brought over are being paid more than New Zealand workers on the job. They also get overtime premiums and higher superannuation contributions," he says.
Businessday reported that some of the workers UGL is employing are New Zealanders who moved to Australia seeking higher pay and are arriving back next week.
"This is a classic case of a New Zealand company employing highly skilled workers in a global marketplace wanting to continue paying kiwi workers low New Zealand wages," Mr Gallagher said in a statement.
