Friday 3 September 2010

Postpone Burger Fuel pickets until Saturday 18th of September

Tena koe,
 
Please forward this email around your networks. Apologies for cross-posting.
 
Matt McCarten (General Secretary of Unite), Joe Carolan (Unite’s action coordinator) and myself (as a witness for Solidarity Auckland) met this morning with Burger Fuel CEO Josef Roberts and the company’s lawyer at the company’s request.
 
Josef Roberts and the company’s board have agreed to fairly compensate Joanne for her termination as of today.
 
They have also agreed in principle to remove the 90-day no-rights trial period from their individual agreements.
 
They have also agreed in principle to remove any anti-union conditions from their individual agreement and to update and improve it.
 
Because the company is a franchise, Josef Roberts need to take the company’s position to the franchise owners for final agreement.
 
This means he will be in a position to confirm the company’s final position within two weeks. However, he said he will try to get this done before then.
 
Matt and Joe feel they will be able to negotiate a fair deal with the company.
 
I certainly felt that the meeting was amicable and the company was keen to resolve the situation.
 
My recommendation is that we postpone picketing until Saturday the 18th of September.
 
Just because the action is off, doesn’t mean you can’t meet with other activists to talk about what to do next. Contact the person organising in your area and see if they want to meet up for coffee.
 
This is just the start – join us in taking the next steps.
 
Your commitment to solidarity has proven that direct action works. Although we didn’t take action, the threat of action is often as powerful. Our quick mobilising also proved that activists and supporters are ready to stand up to the attacks on our work rights, our right to organise and our living standards.
 
This action is just one component of a new project (with a working title of “Solidarity”) to build solidarity across the community and workplaces (union and non-union) and put the movement back into the labour movement.
 
I would like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to join us.
 
·         Join one of the new groups in your area: http://solidarity.org.nz/contact/solidarity-groups/
·         If there isn’t a group in your area, send me an email and I will put you in touch with other activists in your area or help you set something up
·         Reply to this email if you would like to join our database/newsletter so we can involve you in other actions in the future
 
Thank-you again for your support.
 
In solidarity,
 
Simon Oosterman
Solidarity Auckland Contact
m. 021 922 551, w. www.solidarity.org.nz

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Matt, great victory for you and your team against Burger fuel and the 90 day law. In my opinion you have really struck a blow here.
The rest of the trade union movement could all take a leaf out of your book on how to do it.