Negotiations over new employment agreements for SEA-Unite members began Thursday, August 4. Our claims were presented and the Company responded.
From the list of 29 claims it was agreed to split them up into two categories: those that would be dealt with directly through the Collective Employment Agreement negotiations and those operational issues that would be dealt with in working parties alongside the negotiations.
The CEA negotiations will include the following claims:
- $1 an hour increase on wages
- 12 month term
- A SEA-Unite office on site
- SEA-Unite induction letter
- Job descriptions
- Callout fee of $20
- Penal rates increased to time & a half
- All training and meetings to be paid
- Insert a new Riggers Assistant rate
- Pay parity between controllers and ambassadors
- Redundancy provision
- Buddy training allowance
- A superannuation scheme
- Salaried workers terms consistent with CEA
Operational issues are as follows:
- Gaming license
- Enforcement of the right to meal and rest breaks
- Review of other wages discrepancies
- Ensure equal pay for equal work
- Service steps
- Any proposed DIA changes affecting staff have input by SEA
- Health & Safety Committee Issues
- Process for monitoring workloads
- Room allocations for Room attendants
- Sky City Way clarified
- Absence caused by accidents of illness on job be paid separate from sick leave
- Skill based pay
- 24/7 Menu input
- Lost Property policy
- New vacancies to be advertised internally before outside appointments are made
- Proposed DIA changes affecting staff to be discussed with SEA-Unite
Working parties are in progress on the issues raised in both areas. Negotiations resume on September 2. When we have an agreement it will be brought back to members for discussion and vote.
A Sea-Unite member received a $2 an hour increase and back pay after acting as a team leader for some time without recognition in 24/7.
7 additional Housekeeping part-time staff have now secured full-time positions. We want more as we think housekeeping relies too much on part time workers with no fixed hours expected to do full-time work without the security guarantee of being recognised at full-time employees.
A Security guard was wrongfully accused of facilitating a theft. Through SEA-Unite’s advocacy we were able to get the charge dropped.
A worker charged with sexual harassment was stopped from working for two weeks despite the fact he had not been officially suspended. The charge was dropped and he got 70 hours back pay.
Riggers have been promised an improvement in their wages following a review by the company. SEA-Unite will be following this up and including new rates in the CEA.
F&B Alto staff who wanted to have now been relocated to the new Platinum Room after they were initially told they would have to reapply for their old jobs. Currently F&B are now
undergoing Restructuring. Sea-Unite exec members have attended as this may also impact our members’ career paths in the future.
SEA-Unite raised the issue of the $100 payment not being made to some staff from the last IEA negotiations. We believed there were problems with the process. The company has responded that they will review individual claims on a case by case basis and where there is sufficient reason to doubt consistency they will offer the $100 payment as a gesture of goodwill. Any SEA-Unite member who missed out on the payment.
We got official advice from the NZ Police that lost property in Hotels should be handed in to the Police. They point out that visitors to Auckland/NZ may not know where they lost their property and will report the loss to the Police in the expectation it may be handed in. The Police wrote: “any items found regardless of where they are found should be handed to a Police Station where they can be legally held and enquiries can be made by Police to try and locate an owner. Basically if something is not handed to the Police and a Finder keeps the property, the finder can then be charged by Police with theft by finding.” For the last decade nothing has been handed in from Sky City Hotel. The Police also return lost property to the finder after 3 months. They write: “Every finder has the option to claim property, which has not been returned to an owner, after two to three months and then an indemnity receipt is signed at the Police Station.” This procedure protects the finder and has given the Police a time frame to locate an owner and then if not hand property back to the finder.” The company says it is taking legal advice but don’t want staff to have the right to claim lost property as this would encourage them to steal off the guests!
SEA-Unite reps attended national meetings of the Council of Trade Unions for Maori and Pacific members.
Lola Topia, Liane Henry, Candy Sherman and Bernie Harris (for SEA) and Joe Slade (Unite Organiser) attended the national Maori Hui.
Susanna Fue and Freda Nauer (for SEA) with Rima Taraia (Unite Organiser), Kuini Leo (Unite Spotless delegate) and Kathy Ikitoelagi (Unite hotels delegate) attended the Pacific Fono.
The SEA Unite exec did fundraising for both events to cover costs associated with the trips.
These meetings proved important opportunities for networking and explaining why SEA was formed at SkyCity and how we are a union run by and for the members.
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