McDonald’s workers protest
Though low paid, some of the few strikes by McDonald’s workers around the world are not over money, but working conditions. One such strike by up to 25 workers was held for two days in late September at an outlet in Dunedin shortly after three personal injury claims were filed by McDonald’s employees.

One of the claims concerns the theft of a mobile phone leading to an illegal body search carried out on a young woman by two female managers.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, one said that McDonald’s managers bullied teenage workers.

EPMU ‘hangs up’ on union solidarity
An offer from the Postal Workers Federation (PWF) member unions to assist the Engineering, Printing, and Manufacturing Union’s (EPMU) 3.75% wage claim was flatly rejected by EPMU official Anna Kenny. She disconnected a phone call from a PWF representative, repeatedly stating, “We have no relationship with your union.”

Anna was reminded that the PWF and EPMU are both affiliated to the NZ Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU).
In an earlier exchange of E-mails, the PWF had offered support for the EPMU’s efforts to gain an improved settlement.

Immediately before the phone call the PWF was surprised to learn of rumours that the EPMU had settled for only three percent and 2.5 percent for the first and second years respectively.

By ‘going it alone’ and settling for a lower wage increase, the PWF believes that the EPMU officials are violating the basic principle of trade unionism – ‘together we are strong’.

PWF unions have consistently called for joint union negotiations with Post. EPMU officials have claimed that EPMU members do not want joint negotiations. However the PWF continues to receive reports from all over the country that the EPMU membership supports joint EPMU/PWF negotiations. The PWF also has reports that EPMU officials incite hostility towards the PWF.

The PWF intends to take up with the NZCTU the circulation of an inflammatory, untruthful, and abusive EPMU leaflet on 9 July in Anna Kenny’s name.

Redback, 27 July 2004 (No. 36)