Memorandum Misunderstanding
April 16 2009
New Zealand's Unite union has published the Memorandum of Understanding it agreed with Synovate earlier in the week. This includes the terms relating to pay rises for call centre workers which were interpreted in different fashions by the two parties yesterday.
Section 6 of the MOU lists a number of items deemed to be agreed in principle 'subject to the conclusion of the overall collective bargaining', and including:
- '(b)Union members who have been employed by the employer for 6 months or more will have their performance reviewed, and subject to achieving a satisfactory performance rating in accordance with the yet to be agreed performance pay system... will receive a pay rise of 50 cents per hour
- (c) Union members who have been employed by the employer for less than 6 months will have their performance reviewed upon their 6 month anniversary, and subject to achieving a satisfactory performance rating in accordance with the yet to be agreed performance pay system... will receive a pay rise of 50 cents per hour
- (d) 6 months after the review described in paragraph (b) or (c) above, union members' performance will again be reviewed. Those achieving a satisfactory performance rating in accordance with the yet to be agreed performance pay system... will receive a pay rise of 50 cents per hour, in addition to any pay rise received under paragraphs (b) or (c) above'.
Yesterday Unite said that 'Pay rises will amount to $1 an hour on top of paid rates, that currently start at $12.50' while Synovate said 'Reports of pay rises are inaccurate. The outcome in terms of pay rates, and any other payments, is still to be agreed'.
The MOU is at:
www.unite.org.nz/files/Synovate_Memo_15Apr09.pdf . Synovate's home page is at
www.synovate.com .
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.
