59 Unite Union members at Oceania Customer Interaction Service (OCIS), a North Shore call centre have been indefinitely locked out by their employer.

Union members have been taking action for three weeks to put pressure on the multi-national corporation to raise wages to a living wage of $15 an hour.

“The employees are paid $12.50, which next week will be minimum wage. They have been told they must accept a contract at this rate or remain locked out. We are not going to be intimidated by this corporation, which is using a very vicious tactic to intimidate our mostly teenage membership,” said Unite Union National Director Mike Treen.

The company does market research for New Zealand Post, Wellington City Council and the Ministry of Tourism. A month ago the company was doing secret research for a client that union members believe was the National Party on whether or not the public wants the return of Nuclear-powered and armed ship visits.

“If OCIS valued their interviewers they would pay living wages. Their clients pay hundreds of dollars per surveys to the company and members are paid minimum wage,” continued Mr. Treen

“This lock out will not be tolerated and from Monday onwards we will be asking the Council of Trade Unions, the New Zealand Union of Students Associations and their affiliates to request that their members refuse to help the company complete surveys for the duration of the lock-out said,” said Mike Treen.

“On Tuesday the Unite Union in Auckland and the National Union of Workers in Melbourne will hold rallies as part of a Trans-Tasman Day of Action calling on OCIS to end their lock out of union members, give members living wages, and withdraw their claim for $30,000 damages from the union”, concluded Mr Treen.

Update 24th March 2.14pm
An agreement has been reached today between Unite Union and OCIS over the terms of a Collective Agreement for staff. The settlement also involves the withdrawal of the lockout notice, payment for members who lost shifts yesterday and today, withdrawal of the legal action against the union for alleged bad faith bargaining and a pay rise that will deliver a 50c an hour increase in the base rate and the opportunity to earn up to another $1 an hour depending on achievement of some quality and performance standards.

Click here to view TVNZ News article.

Click here for earlier press release on the strike.