Lockouts need to be smashed

By Auckland union activist  

11 April 2009

As the recession deepens more and more employers will look to escalate any dispute with their employees by locking them out. This is what Synovate has done to 30 call centre workers belonging to the Unite union. 

See links to articles below. 

Facing this form of escalation, unionists are obligated to escalate the dispute as well. 

As the Progressive lockout showed, the only way lockouts can be defeated is with wide solidarity actions from the rest of the union movement. Much to the shock, horror and surprise of employer groups, through the use of solidarity actions, this determined anti-union campaign was defeated. 

This must become the standard practice by the union movement in response to any employer lockout from now on. 

This shitty employer, in this notoriously low wage industry, needs to be slapped down, as a warning to all employers that their will be consequences for you if you decide to escalate a dispute with your employees by going to this next level of intimidation. 

I would like to challenge Helen Kelly as the head of the CTU to issue a call for as many unionists and supporters as possible for a rally outside this workplace in support of these locked out trade unionists. 

Australian workers have also shown the way to defeat lockouts. Every lockout by an Australian employer is always met with massive solidarity action. We need to follow their example.  

See Call centre workers strike over pay offer and Striking workers told they're lucky to have job