26 August 2009

Cleaners and dealers are demanding answers after SKYCITY Auckland put proposals on the table which would mean huge cuts to their pay and hours.

The Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota, which represents most of the cleaners and some table games dealers at SKYCITY, is shocked at the move, which could see SFWU members take a pay cut of around $4000-$6000 a year, or in other cases have their hours reduced by 80%.

Despite Chief Executive Nigel Morrison saying SKYCITY is in a very sound financial position, moves have been made to drastically cut working hours for cleaners and disestablish some positions within table games. SKYCITY has been in consultation with the union for the past two weeks, and a decision is expected to be announced by Friday.

The proposal includes cleaners giving up their fulltime jobs for part-time work which would only guarantee them one eight-hour shift a week.

SFWU Northern Regional Secretary Jill Ovens said SKY CITY was in a sound financial position, and therefore should not be gambling with people's livelihoods.

"How does SKYCITY expect workers to support and feed their families with such big cuts to their hours and take-home pay?" she said.

"The company is offering voluntary redundancy, but in a recession that's not really a choice. We are appalled that SKYCITY is making these proposals, especially during such difficult economic times, and when they have just reported huge profits. We urge them to reconsider.”

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