The Iwi Leaders Group is winning praise for its role in ending the Affco industrial dispute.
Members Sonny Tau, Tukoroirangi Morgan, Paul Stanley, Ken Mair, Ngahiwi Tomoana and Mark Solomon helped broker the deal which resulted in 900 workers who had been locked out being put back on the pay roll yesterday after a collective agreement collapsed in February.
Features of the deal include a $400,000 fund to be directed to the workers, protection of seniority clauses and a 3.2 per cent pay increase, iwi and union leaders say.
Political commentator Willie Jackson praised the development.
"It's about time they started doing more practical things. For too long its been seen as an elitist group."
