Call for Xmas boycott as 'Grinch of the Year' award to be presented at Pak 'N Save Richmond

WHAT: Workers First Union members and community supporters are calling for a December-long boycott of Pak 'N Save's Richmond store, with the owners to be presented with a 'Grinch of the Year' award by union representatives on Monday.

Union members have been bargaining with the millionaire owners of the supermarket for over 8 months and say it is the prime example of exploitation and 'surface bargaining' in the Foodstuffs South Island 'race to the bottom' on wages and conditions.

WHEN: Monday 1 December, 10:30 AM

WHERE: Outside Pak' N Save Richmond, Richmond Mall, on Talbot Street, Richmond 7020

Ross Lampert, Workers First organiser, said that Workers First members were calling for a boycott of the store for the month of December and will be hosting an award ceremony outside on Monday.

"We don't take this approach lightly," said Mr Lampert. "But these are truly some of the most miserly, spiteful and tone-deaf supermarket owners I have had the displeasure of attempting to negotiate with."

"After 8 months at the table, the company has provided next to nothing in terms of improving very low pay and poor conditions for Pak 'N Save Richmond workers. They consider it a point of principle to be obstructive to fair bargaining and are happy to fall behind competitors on supermarket pay rates and entitlements if it makes them a little more money."

"We're presenting the Scrooge-like, millionaire owners with a 'Grinch of the Year' award, and our supporters will be pursuing a vigorous boycott for the month of December. We're encouraging shoppers to do their Christmas shopping at Woolworths or Connings Food Market in Richmond this year instead."

Mr Lampert said that Glenn Andersen, one of the owners, sits on the board of the Foodstuffs South Island Cooperative and was well aware that his store was among the lowest-paying Foodstuffs stores in the country.

"For the twelve days of Christmas, the owners gave to workers:

Low wages,
No staff discount,
No service recognition,
No unsociable hours pay,
Minimal sick leave,
Minimal annual leave,
Sub-minimum wage youth rates,
No redundancy compensation,
No Santa parade funding,
Union discrimination,
Bullying,
Concerning health & safety practices.

Over 1,000 people have signed a petition supporting Pak 'N Save Richmond workers, and Mr Lampert said the union would be activating local networks and engaging union supporters to pursue the Christmas boycott widely in the region.

"You can't expect staff to take an effective pay cut for another year while the owners expand their store, drop their support for the Richmond Santa Parade and make millions for themselves," said Mr Lampert.

"We have to stand up and fight back against this kind of exploitation, and I'm confident that the local Richmond community will support our members in the boycott."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Workers First Union's new policy ideas paper, 'Take the Power Back', was released on Wednesday this week, and outlines an effective method to end 'the 'race to the bottom' on wages and conditions by employers like Pak 'N Save Richmond. The union is pursuing an 'extension mechanism' for minimum wages and conditions in industries; a model that is used in two-third of OECD countries (or its equivalent) to lift the wage floor by 'extending' the industry-leading agreement in a given sector to all other businesses. It represents a simpler and more equitable version of the 'Fair Pay Agreements' policy that was repealed by the current Coalition Government.