Workers win at Systemtech but fight continues

Workers have won an interim 2% increase and time and half for overtime as negotiations continue at Systemtech.

Systemtech is a subcontractor that does provisioning work for Transfield in Christchurch and Nelson.

The concessions come after threat of strike action this week caused the company to come to the party after previously pleading poverty.

EPMU Organiser Kelvin Ellis says this is a win for the workers, but there’s still a lot more work to be done. “The workers stood strong and had a good win, but there’s still a long way to go,” he says. “The problem we have is Systemtech is fed by Transfield, who are in turn fed by Telecom, so there’s this flow-on effect that has to be taken into account.”

“But the company’s agreed to go to Transfield to get more funding, with a view to getting a more significant pay increase and time and a half on weekends. We’ll have to take up that fight in the new year, but with the deal at Transfield time and a half is fast becoming the industry standard and I think the company realises that.”

The EPMU has 22 members at Systemtech, which became unionised only recently after workers there saw the gains made by EPMU members at Transfield. For more on the deal at Transfield, see our EPMU News story here .