Support locked-out CMP workers tomorrow

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, December 2nd, 2011 - 14 comments
Categories: class war, workers' rights - Tags:

From the CTU media release:

Supporters of the locked out ANZCO CMP meat workers will fundraise outside of McDonalds nationwide this Saturday 3 December.

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly says fundraising events will be held from Whangarei to Dunedin with locked out workers joining Auckland, Hamilton, Wanganui, Bulls, Feilding, Palmerston North, and Wellington events.

“Supporters from across New Zealand are banding together to raise money for the locked out ANZCO CMP workers and their families this Saturday,” Helen Kelly says. “We’ll be giving the workers solidarity as well as asking McDonald’s to ensure the families values they purport to uphold apply to their entire supply chain, including ANZCO, one of their meat patty suppliers.”

ANZCO foods locked out 100 workers from their CMP Rangitikei plant on October 19 for refusing to accept pay cuts of up to 20%, shift changes and cuts in allowances.

ANZCO is a primary supplier of meat patties to McDonalds.

Helen Kelly says the locked out workers have offered to sacrifice 10% of their pay despite their average annual income only being around $45,000, with the lowest on $23,000. But ANZCO, a multinational with an annual turnover of $1.2 billion, and its CEO Sir Graeme Harrison, want bigger cuts.

“This is not the first time workers have helped the company, workers accepted a wage freeze when the company first opened,” she says.

List of protest sites/times:

Whangarei
—————————————
10:00: McDonalds Whangarei, Bank Street

West Auckland
—————————————
10:00: McDonalds Lincoln Rd, CNR Lincoln Rd & Moselle Ave

Central Auckland
—————————————
11:00: McDonalds Grey Lynn, 102-112 Great North Road

Hamilton
—————————————
12:00: McDonalds Five cross roads, 231 Peach Grove Road

Tauranga
—————————————
12:00: McDonalds Tauranga at CNR 11th Ave & Cameron Road

New plymouth
—————————————
11:00: McDonalds New Plymouth on Cnr Eliott and Leach Sts
Manawatu
—————————————
11:00: McDonalds Palmerston North, Cnr Rangitikei & Featherston Sts

1:00: McDonalds Bulls, 95 Bridge St, Bulls

1:00: McDonalds Feilding, 78 Kimbolton Rd

1:00: McDonalds Levin, Cnr Stanley & Oxford Sts

1:00: McDonalds Wanganui, 314 Victoria Street

Lower and Upper Hutt
—————————————
11:00: McDonalds Petone, 29 Victoria Street

Wellington
—————————————
12:00: McDonalds Manners Mall, 55 Manners Street
Greymouth
—————————————
11:00 – McDonalds Greymouth, 57 Tainui Street

Christchurch
—————————————
10:00 – Banner making at Occupy Corner.
11:00: McDonalds Riccarton, CNR Riccarton Rd & Matipo St, Riccarton

Dunedin
—————————————
10:00: McDonalds George St Dunedin, 232 George Street

14 comments on “Support locked-out CMP workers tomorrow ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. vto 1
    2 December 2011 at 9:31 am

    Perhaps someone could explain what the boss Graeme Harrison got his knighthood this year for?

    Driving New Zealand families down?

    Not being able to run a business profitably without taking money from the workers and their children?

    • fender 1.1
      2 December 2011 at 11:37 am

      Seems the knighthood is for “services to and achievements within agribusiness”. Pretty vague and lacking detail, just another example of how it’s possible to get knighted for running a business that is favourable in the eyes of a Govt that has a soft spot for anything farming.

  2. fender 2
    2 December 2011 at 11:22 am

    This CMP situation is disgusting and I doubt many NZ’rs even know it’s happening (thanks again MSM, NOT!) But they will learn quickly when it’s replicated at their place of work I’m sure.
    I try and avoid McDonalds, but not tomorrow, I’m going to the nearest site on that list to me (Levin is closest as I’m in Paraparaumu) and donate what I can. Hopefully I get to see/meet Helen Kelly as I think she is a fantastic woman.

  3. Jimmy 3
    2 December 2011 at 11:23 am

    Am I the only one seeing the irony at collecting outside McDs?

    On a more serious not: For those of us who would like to help but won’t be going near collection sites, is there a bank account etc. that donations can be made to? I know there was one for an earlier call, but is it still valid?

    • The Voice of Reason 3.1
      2 December 2011 at 11:40 am

      What irony, Jimmy? (I don’t eat at Maccas, so it might have gone over my head).

      If you want to give money you can deposit it in the following KiwiBank account:

      Account Name: Disputes Fund

      Account Number: 38-9007-0894028-08.

      Or you can just ring 0900LOCKOUT for an automatic $5 donation.

      You can drop off tinned food/pasta/dry goods etc. at the following locations:

      Palmerston North: PSA Building, 47 King St. Feilding: 9 Monckton St. Bulls:16 Ward St. Marton: Church of Good Hope, Cnr Church St and Station Rd.

      Pet food is also needed!

      • fender 3.1.1
        2 December 2011 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks V O Reason, I’ll donate via the 0900LOCKOUT a couple of times instead of traveling to Levin.

    • freedom 3.2
      2 December 2011 at 2:56 pm

      Jimmy,
      Mcd’s is one of the clients of the bosses who are demanding a 20% pay cut !
      Where is the irony? It is Strike action 101

      Meanwhile
      on this sunny afternoon, in honour of the strike action, to remind us just what these people actually do and as a little treat on a Friday for those who remember one of NZ’s most influential bands ,

      here are the Skeptics with AFFCO

      WARNING: NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH
      but it is the reality of what these good folk do every day so that our BBQ’s and Roasting pans stay full.

  4. Helen Kelly 4
    2 December 2011 at 11:50 am

    thanks to the Standard for the promotion. Meat – one of our primary exports – premium products come from this plant and ANZCO is one of our biggest exporters. Not only do we need to support these workers in their own right but when employers use the power of indefinate lock out to starve workers into submission – we all need to stand up and fight back! See you tomorrow – I will be at McDonalds Manners St.

  5. Gosman 5
    2 December 2011 at 12:32 pm

    Good on the workers for getting organised however if you accept that Strike action is a legitimate action to take in bagaining, (and I think it is safe to say that we all do), then you also have to accept the corollary to that which is that Employers can lock workers out. It is part and parcel of industrial relations.

    • tc 5.1
      2 December 2011 at 12:43 pm

      arise Sir gosman

    • Uturn 5.2
      2 December 2011 at 5:35 pm

      Predictable of the company to try to steal from the workers, however if you accept that theft is a legitimate action to take instead of bargaining, (and I think it is safe to say that only a few do), then you also have to accept the corollary to that which is that employees will strike. It is part and parcel of distorted industrial relations… and excusing the intial act of offense to suggest blame should be laid only on the retaliation of the victims takes a special kind of retardation.

  6. kriswgtn 6
    2 December 2011 at 3:11 pm

    0900 donation done

    i have also shared with this facebook

    I am so sick of employers trying to fuck their workers over and this is one of those times

    my boss makes a good profit + he knows if he tried this shit we would walk and he would be fucked

    good thing he aint a greedy asshole

  7. randal 7
    2 December 2011 at 3:23 pm

    gosman you are an idiot.
    striking for better pay does in no way justify the bosses locking the workers out.
    its just people bashing.
    looks like the employers at CMP prefer bashing people to making money.
    they just industrial psychopaths.
    if you support them then you support public exhibitions of madness for rich people.
    if they got money then kiss their asses or watch out.

  8. Tombstone 8
    2 December 2011 at 7:22 pm

    what is it with these greedy bastards at the top? why are the workers always being asked to take a pay cut and lose allowances while the fat cats just keep on getting fatter? I mean, how fucking stupid or just plain ignorant do you have to be to see that these fucking sods are just plain greedy and want us wll working for goddam nothing so they keep on living the good life. Fuck them! This bullshit has to stop and where the fuck is our glorious leader Key? Brighter future my bloody arse!

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.