AA workers reject offer

EPMU members at the Automobile Association have voted to reject the organisation's latest pay offer and succeeded in getting the AA to agree to mediation.

The offer, which included a 4% pay rise and no offer to retain long service leave, follows national strike action by more than 130 roadside technicians in December last year and was unanimously rejected.

EPMU organiser Chris Rigby says mediation is scheduled for Monday the 25th of February.

"At mediation we'll be focusing on sorting out the remaining issues like retaining the extra week's service leave. The members are pretty determined on this one, and if the company refuses to come to the party we can't rule out further industrial action.

"Naturally we'll continue to keep AA members in mind to make sure they're not unduly inconvienced by any action we take. Our disagreement is with the AA itself, not with the hundreds of thousands of ordinary New Zealanders who belong to it."

Rigby says EPMU members who also belong to the AA are encouraged to call *222 and ask the organisation to come to the table with an acceptable offer and treat its workers properly.