Glenbrook, which is located 36 miles south of Auckland, is a small integrated steel mill with annual production of about 650,000 tons of steel. Most workers at the plant are members of the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).

The company is offering a 5 percent wage increase in the base rate with no increase on allowances. This works out to an offer of about 3.8 percent on average, and is less in areas such as the iron plant where allowances for conditions make up a higher portion of wages.

"The strike has raised fears among employers that it is the beginning of a winter of discontent in the workplace," stated a front-page story in the June 15 New Zealand Herald.

At the union meeting, a worker reported that a senior manager had complained that the workforce was "aging and belligerent." The unionist added that "we can show the company how belligerent we can be."

A younger worker received a warm response when stating that younger people had to be prepared to defend conditions won by previous generations.

"This year we understand Glenbrook was the most profitable field division in BHP and the offer [they] made was simply not enough," stated EPMU Auckland regional secretary Mike Sweeney. Last year the company earned an extra NZD$6 million as the workers' wages were frozen (NZ$1=US 46 cents).

Although not a direct issue in the strike, workers were concerned about the company's move to replace the Collective Employment Contract (CEC), which covers all unions on site, with a new Collective Agreement.

At first they wanted to include this in the current round of contract talks, but backed off. They are now hoping to negotiate this issue over the next year. BHP has indicated a desire as part of this new agreement to have the power to move workers around at will, hire casual labor and employ contractors as they see the need. Also included was a cap of 12 weeks pay on redundancy (layoffs), a reduction in annual holidays by one week, salarization of hourly rates and elimination of overtime. Much of this is limited by the current CEC.

Brendan Gleeson is a member of the EPMU at Glenbrook and is on strike  
 
 
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