It's time EcoLab let its striking workers join the collective

News from Hamilton that striking EcoLab staff are being denied the opportunity for the same employment agreement as other workers who do the same job as them is concerning, says Green Party Employment Relations Spokesperson Sue Bradford.

The workers have been on strike for over three weeks now in an effort to join their 1000 other union colleagues on the multi-employer Metals Collective Agreement, which covers more than 100 companies.

"EcoLab is a large multinational company that can afford to make its way in Hamilton by recognising the skills and experience its staff bring to their job rather than trying to compete in a race to drive down wages. All the 15 union members at EcoLab want is the chance to have the same deal as a thousand other workers who do the same job as them,” Ms Bradford says.

"The opportunity to join large multi-employer collective agreements like the Metals and Manufacturing Agreement is an important right for working people and their families. It guarantees the opportunity to discuss working conditions from an industry-wide perspective and set minimum standards of safety and well-being. Agreements like this allow companies to run high quality competitive businesses without needing to compete to cut employment costs.”