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Staff at a Taranaki engineering firm serving the oil and gas industry may be two weeks away from going on strike, saying they need pay increases to keep up with inflation and with their Australian counterparts.
The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) is set to serve Fitzroy Engineering today with a 14-day notice of intention to strike on behalf of about 250 members.
Fitzroy Engineering said the EPMU demands were excessive and Australian pay rates were irrelevant.
EPMU director of organising Ged O'Connell said negotiations were set to continue but the strike notice was a sign members were serious.
"Nobody takes strike action lightly but in this case our members are determined to get a fair result," he said.
EPMU Taranaki organiser Ross Henderson said staff were making a variety of claims.
They included a $2.40 per hour increase for all staff to help cover living costs, along with a 25 per cent increase for offshore construction workers and a 15 per cent increase for onshore construction workers.
The claim was very reasonable when compared to what Australian staff were paid, Mr Henderson said.
But Fitzroy Engineering chairman Peter White-Robinson said it was unreasonable to expect the company to base its offers around what was available in Australia.
"Our markets are mainly in New Zealand. We don't charge in Australian dollars and we don't pay people in Australian dollars," he said.
- NZPA
