New Plymouth District Council dispute continues

Workers in the New Plymouth District Council’s parks division will meet this week to discuss their next move after mediation on Tuesday failed to bring an end to the dispute.

At issue is the Council’s attempts to impose a consultant-driven pay system that would remove parks workers’ right to negotiate collective pay increases in future – a move members have rejected and took strike action over last Friday.

EPMU organiser Blair McFarlane says the next move is in the hands of members.

“At mediation we realised we’ve reached a bit of an impasse with the Council and it’s up to the membership now to decide what to do next. We’ll just have to put some options on the table, take on board what our members want to do and then go from there.”

The EPMU represents 45 workers in the New Plymouth District Council parks division.