Locking out union members for taking part in a paperwork ban is "scare tactics" against low-wage workers who cannot afford not to be paid, Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU) Otago organiser Ann Galloway says.
Workers starting a paperwork ban to protest a 1% pay offer were advised of the lockout yesterday morning by mental health and disability services provider Pact.
The SFWU and Public Service Association, which represents Invercargill members, are legally challenging the lockout, saying it was not properly notified.
The unions established a donation fund for workers, some of whom were locked out for just 30 minutes a day; others completely.
Yesterday, a rally in support of the workers was held in the Octagon, after which protesters marched to Pact's Filleul St headquarters via George St.
About 70 union representatives, supporters, and Occupy Dunedin protesters took part. Once outside Pact, about 12.30pm, marchers were disappointed when no-one emerged, but stayed for a few minutes and chanted.
Mrs Galloway told the ODT the lockout was unusually heavy-handed and some "spooked" members had abandoned the paperwork ban.
About 200 union members in Dunedin, Invercargill, Balclutha, Oamaru, Greymouth and Hokitika were subject to the action, but about a quarter were "frightened" and dropped it, she said.
About a third of Pact's 300 workers were not in the union.
Pact director of corporate services Paul Chamberlain said non-union staff, and union members who had dropped the action, were caring for clients.
Pact chief executive Louise Carr, in a media release, said Pact did not take the decision lightly: "We hate to do this but we have no choice because we are unable to meet contractual obligations if they are not doing paperwork."
Client and worker safety could be at risk if incident reports were not filed, she said.
