The Bargaining Process Agreement (BPA) is supposed to set out agreements on how the parties will conduct the bargaining but FENZ refused to agree to include a clause that would prevent the harm FENZ caused in the last round through their anti-NZPFU membership tactics of sending offers, their analysis of NZPFU claims and false information to all and sundry.
We wanted to ensure that the information exchanged and discussed in bargaining remained within the parties with the NZPFU able to be transparent with its members about claims and general progress. FENZ said they could not agree to a clause that would restrict them from disclosing bargaining information to anyone.
In the last round of negotiations, even before the NZPFU took industrial action ballots, FENZ took the unprecedented step of sending out to all personnel (including volunteers and members of other unions), information that should have been confidential to the bargaining and bypassed the union with an offer to settle. They had never done that for any other collective bargaining with any other union and have not done it since. The tactic backfired on FENZ as it not only galvanised the NZPFU membership but we had messages of support from other personnel including volunteers and the public.
Through the Whanaungatanga program and research we now have evidence of organisational harm which FENZ says they are committed to addressing yet cannot even agree to maintaining confidentiality of bargaining which may be an indication they intend to behave in the harmful way they did in the last negotiations.
The issues we have experienced in the FENZ bargaining teams’ conduct to date and then the refusal to definitively determine who is privy to the information and discussions held in bargaining meant for the NZPFU there was no point in continuing BPA discussions as we would not agree to a BPA.
The NZPFU National Committee members will provide further information and updates at the AGMs scheduled around the country over the next three weeks.
Bargaining will commence on the 5th September.
In unity,
Wattie Watson
National Secretary
