Engineers send Telecom a message

Striking telecommunications engineers picketed Telecom buildings and shops during a national "day of action" to protest against the move toward self-employment they say is being forced on them by Telecom contractor Visionstream.

More than 700 engineers downed tools yesterday, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) national organiser Joe Gallagher said. About 300 people had picketed Telecom's Airedale exchange in Auckland after earlier holding a protest outside a Telecom shop on Queen St, he said.

"We sent a clear message to Telecom about our disgust at the destruction of the industry."

In Wellington, protesters demonstrated outside Telecom's offices on Jervois Quay and handed out leaflets on Lambton Quay.

Maritime Union members joined the rallies in Auckland and Wellington, after voting to provide $10,000 to the striking engineers.

EPMU members have been refusing to install or fix broadband connections in Auckland and Northland for more than a week. Some customers faced a three-week delay getting new installations and faults fixed, Mr Gallagher said.

Robin Kelly, a spokesman for Telecom's network arm Chorus, said that claim was exaggerated. Only a third of Chorus' field services team was unionised and most workers were on deck to pick up the extra work, he said.

Phone lines were knocked out to many Far North customers, after a fibre-optic cable was cut. Mr Kelly said it did not involve the dispute. The line was cut by a utility firm.

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly said the Government should halt any talks with Telecom over the roll-out of broadband until Telecom agreed to treat its workers better.

Recent comments by Prime Minister John Key on rural broadband have fuelled speculation that Telecom might secure a big role in its $1.5 billion broadband investment initiative.

"The Government should not be doing business with Telecom, while it is selling out its line engineers to exploitative subcontracting arrangements," Ms Kelly said.

Visionstream is due to take over responsibility for servicing Telecom's network in Auckland and Northland from October. Ms Kelly forecast a problem for Visionstream, if engineers employed by existing contractors Transfield and Downer EDI refused to sign as owners-operators by then.

But Telecom chief executive Paul Reynolds claimed many had already done so. "I think there is probably a slightly different agenda between the union leadership, and the men and women who are the great engineers that work for us."

- © Fairfax NZ News