Brutal Gateway Hotel lockout continues

Around a dozen mostly minimum wage workers at Auckland’s Airport Gateway Hotel are standing strong under pressure as they enter the fourth week of a lockout that has left them without income and unable to work.

The dispute began on August 3rd when the Unite members went on strike after hotel management repeatedly refused to negotiate a collective agreement. Management responded to the strike by locking out the workers indefinitely.

This is not the first time Gateway Hotel has received attention for its poor treatment of workers. In November last year incoming management sacked a waitress because her pregnancy was perceived to be a “liability” to the business. She is still waiting for her case to be heard.

The hotel is also currently under investigation by the Department of Labour for paying some of its cleaning staff less than the minimum wage.

Unite organiser Daphna Whitmore says management has harassed union members, told staff to leave the union, and brought in illegal labour to undermine the strike.

“During the first few days of the lockout the boss brought in workers from a neighbouring hotel, which is a clear breach of employment law. He also got a friend to help with the work, but the man quickly left when he realised he was scabbing. He was genuinely horrified and apologised to the workers on the picket line.

“The employer then threatened to ‘restructure’ and contract out the kitchen and restaurant work. Every day of the lockout he has called the police, and last week the staff were issued trespass notices, although only the delegates had come on to the site with union officials to inspect for outside workers, as they are entitled to do.

Many of the staff at the Gateway Hotel are long serving and most have families to support and rent to pay. One locked out worker, Alone Ngaro, is eight and a half months pregnant and worried about her baby.

“It’s hard being locked out with the baby on its way. This is a very stressful time for me and my family and it’s made harder by not having money to pay the bills.”

Whitmore says the workers are still standing strong, but they need all the public support they can get.

“These are vulnerable workers who have been treated in an appalling manner, but they realise that the only way they’re going to get through it is by sticking together. They’re willing to stand on the picket line for as long as it takes, but we really need any public support we can get.”

You can join the picket at 206 Kirkbride Rd Mangere from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week. Donations of food, money or just your moral support are more than welcome.

For more information contact Unite at 09 8452132 or Daphna on 029 494 9865. If you want to take up a collection on your site please contact the EPMU support centre on 0800 1 UNION for more information.

You can also contact the hotel’s new manager, Rakesh Sharma, at 0800 651 110 or manager@airportgatewayhotel.co.nz and tell him what you think of his employment practices.