Wage talks to start in supermarket impasse

Wage talks start today between supermarket group Progressive Enterprises and employees who work at their Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown supermarkets.

Union representative the National Distribution Union (NDU) and Progressive Enterprises have set aside two days for bargaining in Auckland, NDU spokesman Simon Oosterman said.

The talks hinge on the collective agreement covering 4200 NDU members employed by Progressive.

NDU national secretary Laila Harre said the dispute between the union and Progressive over 600 distribution workers -- now into its 14th day -- was "casting a long shadow over the [employee wage] talks".

Supermarket members were anxious about the talks, she said.

Workers at Progressive's distribution centres in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Christchurch began what was meant to be a 48-hour strike on August 25, but were locked out three days later.

The workers want a national collective agreement to cover the three centres but Progressive have said this was non-negotiable.

Pay rates vary between the centres, with the highest rates paid at Palmerston North, the lowest in Christchurch, and Auckland somewhere in between.

Progressive managing director Marty Hamnett has said the total financial impact of the proposal on Progressive's employment costs for distribution centre staff was 13.5 per cent, including a doubling of the workers' allowances.

- NZPA