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Workers walked off the job this morning at Rotorua aluminium fabrication company Bradnams Windows & Doors over an ongoing pay dispute.
The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) said most of the 17 union members earned between $12 and $14 an hour and had been trying to get the company to honour a commitment it made last year to bring pay rates in line with their skills.
"It is a real indictment on Bradnams that they are paying skilled workers at such a low rate and at the same time cashing in on the biggest building boom New Zealand has seen for decades," EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said.
He said the workers' pay was "way below" comparable rates elsewhere.
"The path to long term business success is well-organised, high-wage, high-skill workers and if Bradnams think that minimum wage will keep and attract skilled workers they are kidding themselves and undermining their future growth."
The strikers will meet tomorrow morning to discuss further action.
A Bradnams spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
- NZPA
