Locked out workers to return Progressive offer

Auckland distribution workers locked out by Progressive Enterprises will today return the supermarket giant's latest wage offer in a giant envelope, the National Distribution Union (NDU) said.

Progressive Enterprises sent its latest wage offer directly to the workers, bypassing their unions.

NDU national secretary Laila Harre said today the move was an attempt by Progressive to undermine collective bargaining.

"This is completely out of order and a blatant breach of fundamental obligations not to undermine collective bargaining and not to bargain directly or indirectly with union members," she said.

Progressive managing director Marty Hamnett said yesterday the company couriered letters directly to nearly 600 affected workers, saying it wanted them to be fully informed.

"We believe our offers of a wage increase are fair, reasonable, sustainable, and consistent with the retail industry where pay increases are in the 3 to 4 per cent range," Mr Hamnett said.

"We wanted to make sure that after (the offer) went to the union, it went our employees."

The workers went on strike on August 25, to protest their right to negotiate a national collective agreement for the distribution centres in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Christchurch.

Progressive, which is owned by Woolworths Australia, and operates Foodtown, Countdown and Woolworths here, locked the workers out three days later.

On Monday night the company offered the workers a 3.5 per cent pay increase but remained adamant that a collective agreement was not negotiable.

- NZPA