The company responded by locking out the 250 workers, members of the New Zealand Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union. The bosses sent the union a letter stating the workers would remain locked out until they accepted the company’s pay offer.

Defending the company’s actions, the human resources manager said wages at the plant are in "the upper quartile for the market and [we] are simply trying to manage the trend away from that." Responding to company claims that workers average NZ$46,000 income a year with superannuation (government pension) and overtime, one worker told the Press he would not be on the picket line if he earned NZ$46,000 (NZ$1 = US 45 cents).

In face of the lockout, workers set up a picket line outside the factory gates as General Cable continued to send out cable. A picket told this reporter that one freight company refused to cross the line but others were coming in to move the cable.

The company made a second offer of a 2.6 percent pay hike to the union April 17 but this was rejected by an even greater majority than the original offer, and the lockout continued.

Two days later the bosses came forward with a third offer of 2.75 percent pay rise now, another 1.25 percent increase in nine months, and a NZ$320 one-time payment. Workers approved this contract proposal.

Annalucia Vermunt is a member of the Meat Workers Union in Christchurch.  
 
 
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