Fonterra Negotiations Underway

NZDWU has commenced negotiations to renew largest Fonterra Collective Agreement.

By James Ritchie
National Secretary

As the Dairy Worker goes to print, the union is locked in tough negotiations with Fonterra to renew the Fonterra Ingredients Collective Employment Agreement. This agreement is a trendsetting document and covers about 4000 workers in dairy factories and in milk supply.
As everyone will be aware, Fonterra are entering the double flush period. The milk flush when thousands of litres of milk a day are being collected from farms and poured into the factories for processing. The second flush is the amount of money Fonterra and its shareholders are to receive for this milk - predicted to be the best season ever with a forecast payout of $6.40/kg ms.
This means our members deserve a good pay rise and the DWU negotiating team will be doing its utmost to secure it.
We also want to restrict the growth of contractors in milk supply by extending the work our members perform carting between transfer stations and RO plants and the main factories.
We also wish to tighten up the use of labour hire temps in the factories through inserting a clause in the Agreement that temps sourced from labour hire contractors must be paid the appropriate rate in the CEA.

Fonterra want greater control over the rosters and this is an area the union knows is dear to the hearts of our members.

"We provide the 24 hour/7 day a week cover" say our members, " so leave alone the way we decide on the rosters and provide that cover," is the view of a typical DWU member.

The negotiating team are working hard towards a settlement which we hope will be secured by the time you read this. If we reach a proposed settlement members will be asked to vote at ratification meetings. If we do not achieve settlement we will be having membership meetings to consider our next move.