Coronavirus: Walkout works as Sistema workers get time off

Friday, 27 March 2020

Workers at plastic container manufacturer Sistema, in Auckland, have won the right to stay home with full pay during the four-week shutdown period.

Production workers walked off the job on Wednesday after being told by Sistema that they were essential workers and were required to work through the lockdown.

The workers were concerned they were working in an environment that didn't allow for social distancing, often standing less than one metre apart for hours at a time.

Sistema workers walked off the job on Wednesday over concerns about unsafe work conditions.

They were also concerned by the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks.

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E tū organiser Mat Danaher said after a WorkSafe visit to the Sistema factory in Auckland on Thursday, workers were told they won't have to go to work, and will be on full pay for the next four weeks.

Danaher said that this result wouldn't have happened without the members taking matters into their own hands.

'Let's make no mistake, this is a direct result of workers coming together to defend the safety of themselves, their family, and their community,' Danaher said.

E tu organiser Mat Danaher, says unions and Government agencies need to be vigilant during the lockdown period.

E tū national secretary Annie Newman said Sistema's behaviour was 'abhorrent'.

Newman said Sistema's behaviour put not just the workers but the general public at risk.

'This is not just about our workers, it's about their families and communities.

'It's not an exaggeration to say that Kiwis will die because of employers like this not taking Covid-19 seriously.'

The union was concerned over the classification of some companies as essential services.

'There are two main issues. The first is the risk of employers dubiously claiming that they are an essential service because they are somewhere along the supply chain for actual essential services. We will need a lot more clarity around this in the coming days,' Danaher said.

'The second issue is that those who actually qualify as essential services are often completely unprepared for working safely, such as by providing PPE and giving workers enough physical distance from each other.

Danaher said unions and the Government needed to be extra vigilant as companies sought to take advantage of loopholes to continue to operate during the lockdown.

Sistema was bought for $660 million in 2017 by a United States Fortune 500 company.

In 2018, of the 500 production staff that worked at its purpose built Mangere plant, about 200 were union members.

Sistema had been approached for comment.