Hundreds of workers throughout New Zealand are taking action and building momentum in their struggle against Telecom NZ’s decision to outsource its network maintenance to VisionStream.
VisionStream is an Australian company which operates on a “dependent contractor” model, meaning that the company does not employ its staff directly, but forces them to operate as “contractors”. VisionStream requires staff to purchase their own equipment and transport vehicles, to pay for their own holiday and sick leave entitlements and to accept all of the other financial obligations associated with their own employment. EPMU leader Andew Little said that

We see Telecom and Visionstream’s actions as a serious attack on the incomes of our members and on workers’ rights in general and we will be pushing to stop this model of employment in its tracks.

After strike action last week the engineers went back to work but have implemented an indefinite ban on broadband work. The union is also pledging to fight for the jobs of 154 workers at Transfield Services, another Telecom contractor. Little told the Marlborough Express that Telecom has an ongoing tactic of playing contractors off against each other to drive prices down “It’s a model that’s hurting our members and endangering the long term security of New Zealand’s broadband.” The union has been in contact with overseas unions for international solidarity and has set up a fundraising drive to get financial support for further industrial action.