Maritime workers back locked out Kawerau pulp and paper workers

The Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and is back­ing locked out pulp and paper work­ers at the Essity plant in Kawerau.

The 145 locked out work­ers man­u­fac­ture toi­let paper and belong to the Pulp and Paper Work­ers Uni­on. They have been locked out of their jobs by the employ­er for three weeks.

Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and Nation­al Sec­ret­ary Craig Har­ris­on says work­ers around New Zea­l­and are swinging in behind the Kawerau work­ers.

Mr Har­ris­on says mari­time work­ers are con­trib­ut­ing fin­an­cially to the locked out work­ers and would ramp up sup­port if the employ­er con­tin­ued to try and starve the work­ers into sub­mis­sion.

“These are New Zea­l­and work­ers who are being sub­jec­ted to star­va­tion tac­tics by an over­seas owned cor­por­ate that makes a lot of money in and from New Zea­l­and.”

Mr Har­ris­on says the tac­tic of the com­pany to pre­vent hard­ship with­draw­als by the work­ers from their own super­an­nu­ation sav­ings is a new low.

He says the work­ers are simply try­ing to main­tain their wages rather than go back­wards as the cost of liv­ing rises sharply.

“This is not some big money grab – it is about keep­ing up with the cost of liv­ing, and we know the man­age­ment and share­hold­ers of Essity are not doing it tough.”

Mr Har­ris­on says the pulp and paper work­ers have been great sup­port­ers of oth­er work­ers in struggle and it was time to repay their solid­ar­ity.

“This is a very sol­id com­munity of essen­tial work­ers and they deserve the sup­port of all New Zeal­anders.”