Tinakori Flooring workers join Metals

11 December, 2009

Workers at Tinakori Flooring in Wellington have won their first ever collective agreement after they joined the union and signed up to the Metals multi-employer collective agreement.

The EPMU became involved at Tinakori Flooring after members joined the union in response to a "draconian" individual agreement that had been put in front of them.

EPMU organiser Mark James says the workers knew that joining the union was the only real way to improve their pay and conditions.

"Tinakori Flooring's never had a union onsite, but the workers realised that they weren't going to be able to knock back the draconian agreement they'd been offered unless they stood together.

"After they joined up to the EPMU we were able to enter collective negotiations with the employer for a better deal, and as a result Tinakori Flooring's now a party to the Metals.

"For our members that means a modern agreement with industry standard conditions, some basic redundancy protections, and for the first time ever the ability to negotiate wage increases on a regular basis.

"There are hundreds of thousands of Kiwis out there with no union protection, poor minimum conditions and no way to negotiate regular pay increases. Tinakori Flooring's an example of why Kiwis need to join their unions."

The EPMU represents nine members at Tinakori Flooring.