Service & Food Workers Union

The Service & Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU) was a trade union in New Zealand. It was affiliated with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and the New Zealand Labour Party.

SFWU Nga Ringa Tota
Service & Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota
Merged intoE tū
DissolvedOctober 2015
HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
Location
Members
23,000+
Key people
John Ryall, National Secretary
AffiliationsNZCTU, Labour Party
Websitewww.sfwu.org
A car with the livery of the Service & Food Workers Union

The SFWU was organised into five industry sectors:

  • Age Care, Disability, Health & Community Services
  • Catering, Cleaning and Contract Services
  • Clerical, Administration & Technical Services
  • Food & Beverage Manufacturing & Processing
  • Hospitality, Tourism & Entertainment Services

The Service & Food Workers Union filed a case with the Employment Court against Terranova, a rest home operator, in relation to allegations that it paid its caregivers lower wages that it would otherwise pay if its work force was not predominantly made up of women.[1] The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal of New Zealand, where it was upheld in 2015. The government then took it on itself to negotiate a settlement, which was announced in April 2017 as "the largest pay increase in New Zealand's history".[2]

In October 2015, the Service & Food Workers Union merged with the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union to form E tū.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Terranova Homes & Care v SFWU - appeal dismissed". Scoop. Independent News Media. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  2. ^ Davison, Isaac (18 April 2017). "Government announces historic pay equity deal for care workers". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  3. ^ "Union merger brings 50,000 together". Wairarapa Times-Age. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
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