Fletcher Building woes continue as quarry workers prepare to strike

Thursday, 21 September 2017

Workers at a Hunua quarry site owned by Fletcher Building will picket in protest over hours and pay.

Quarry workers at construction giant Fletcher Building are preparing to fight for fairer pay.

Workers planned to demonstrate outside the company's Winstone quarry on Hunua Rd, Auckland, on Friday with a 5am start.

Fletcher Building quarry workers are set to strike in Auckland on Friday.

The workers are calling on their employer to offer a fair pay increase, and additionally, bring an end to the long hours quarry workers were expected to work.

First Union spokesperson Bryce Hamilton said the company was not offering workers enough to keep up with the cost of living.

* Fletcher Buildings expects earnings could be up to $150m less than forecast

* Departure costs Fletcher Building boss heavily**

'Workers clock long hours in order to earn enough to live on. Rent prices are going up and up, but wages are stuck.'

A Fletcher Building spokeswoman said 12 staff were on strike and workes had received wage increases higher than the New Zealand average over the last year.

'This morning's industrial action will not impact the quarry's ability to operate, with production and opening hours for customers continuing as normal,' she said.

The disruption comes after Fletcher Building announced a massive profit downgrade earlier in the year.

Last month. the same quarry workers staged a one-day walk-off to protest poor pay and conditions.

'Quarry work can be dirty and dangerous and the workers' site is classified as 'high hazard' by Worksafe,' Hamilton said.

'This isn't easy work and the workers deserve recognition for that.'

First Union was taking legal proceedings against the company for offering workers individual agreements during collection agreement negotiations.

The union claims the company's actions have undermined collective agreement negotiations.

In March, Fletcher Building staff lost their jobs after a possible $150 million profit hit caused by costs on two major projects.

In the same month, the company started a review of its building and interiors (B&I) business, responsible for the losses of the previous year.

In June, Fletcher Building issued a profit downgrade, its chief executive Mark Adamson left and confirmed a delay to the $700m International Convention Centre in Auckland.

The International Convention Centre had been expected to be complete in 2019, but SkyCity said in a statement to the NZX that work on the centre, and its associated hotel, was not expected to finish until around the middle of 2019.