Allan Barber credits iwi for the final settlement of AFFCO’s union dispute.
It’s been a long 10 weeks, he wrote in an article which appeared on interest.co.nz on 24 May and also in NZ Farmers Weekly, both for the company and especially the workforce. At last both sides have exercised some flexibility and reached agreement on a new Core Collective Agreement.
It has taken some urging by Iwi leaders to get there in what is the first time Iwi have taken such a leading role in dispute settlement. Tukoroirangi Morgan, representing Tainui, was clearly elated at the successful outcome, saying “History has been made here and role of Iwi in the modern industrial society has been forever changed.” He paid credit to all the main players in what he said was as tough a negotiating process as the Treaty negotiations, Allan writes.
