F&P workers signs nine day fortnight with wage top-up

14 April, 2009

EPMU members at Fisher & Paykel Appliances in Auckland have voted to accept a temporary 35 hour working week with training and no loss of take-home pay.

The arrangement will prevent 50 redundancies due to a fall in demand due to the global recession, and will run for six months from April through to September.

Under the agreement, workers will do a 35 hour week. This will be supplemented with an additional 3.5 hours paid time, consisting of the Government's 9 day working fortnight subsidy and an equivalent employer top-up.

The remaining 1.5 hours per week may be taken as paid leave to ensure continuity of wage levels. As part of the scheme, workers will be provided with company-funded in house up-skilling training for 3.5 hours each fortnight.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says the key to the arrangement was making sure workers received an employer top-up.

"As we said from the outset, to make the nine day fortnight work we need employers to top it up and Fisher & Paykel have come to the table on that. It shows how important it is for employers and unions to work together in the face of the recession."

The arrangement will be reviewed regularly and in the case of required increased demand, the flexibility of the scheme allows the company to return to normal working hours.

Fisher & Paykel Appliances is the first site in the country to utilise the Government's nine day fortnight plan.