Engineers strike for fair overtime rates

18 March, 2008

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union members at Stevenson Engineering in East Tamaki will begin two days of strike action tomorrow morning in protest at the company's refusal to provide them with fair overtime rates.

The thirty six workers are striking for overtime after forty-five hours but the company is only offering overtime at fifty.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says tomorrow's strike action is about industry standards.

"Union members fought hard to win a fair working week and it's only reasonable that when these engineers have to work long hours they get decent compensation.

"Kiwi workers are well known for working long hours and our members are no exception, all they want is to be rewarded with industry standard overtime."

Union members plan to picket the Stevenson Engineering premises at 61 Lady Ruby Drive, East Tamaki, from 7am tomorrow morning. The strike is expected to continue until Friday.

ENDS 

For more information contact Andrew Little on 027 551 3476 or EPMU Communications Advisor Rob Egan on 027 276 5146.