SkyCity pay talks continue after lockouts and picketing

Newly arrived American tourist Jack Knies pushes through the picket line at SkyCity to get to the information centre. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Tourists and other visitors were barred from Auckland's SkyCity Casino yesterday as a bitter dispute over pay and work hours spilled on to the streets.

About 65 workers picketed the front entrance over the lunch hour after 27 staff were locked out until the end of the week for taking part in half-hour strikes.

Visitors were asked not to cross the picket line but some, such as American tourist Jack Knies, got through.

"I'm coming into the information centre. We just got off the plane this morning," he said. "[A picketer] tried to block me. I had to push him out of the way."

About 2pm, the two unions involved, Unite and the Service and Food Workers, agreed with police and SkyCity management to move away from the main doors to allow negotiations to resume at 3pm.

Table games supervisor Volker Grajewski, 48, who has worked at the casino since it opened in 1996, said SkyCity gave him a $300 reward for 15 years' service last week, and a lockout notice yesterday.

"I'm seeking a decent procedure for restructuring - at least double the current maximum redundancy pay of 26 weeks," he said.

Unite director Mike Treen said unions were also seeking regular shifts with secure hours for part-time staff.

"They have started hiring mainly part-time staff for table games dealers. There are almost no rights for part-time staff except for a guaranteed eight hours a week," he said.

The unions also asked for a 5 per cent pay rise, reduced to 4 per cent in negotiations. SkyCity is offering 3 per cent a year for the next three years.

SkyCity spokesman Scott Campbell said the unions had been calling brief strike actions on and off since talks started last November.

"We escalated to lockouts in the hope that it would bring the unions back to the negotiating table," he said. "We are pleased now that this appears to have happened."

Negotiators took a break at 5.30 and were due to keep talking from 7.

Unite general secretary Matt McCarten said progress was "positive as opposed to significant".

"They seem to be quite constructive. But no one is a softie in that room. There was no blinking".

Mr McCarten added that protesters would be keeping vigil through the night and the midnight and 4am shift workers had been pulled out.

"[Today] will be a new day of escalated action, but we are working through the night to see if we can reach an agreement so the workers will remain in an industrial action."