An industrial dispute involving community care workers is to enter mediation early next month while union members drop bans on paperwork and sleepovers.
Service and Food Workers Union organiser Ann Galloway said union members decided to drop a week-old paperwork ban, and a planned sleepover ban, as a gesture of good faith.
She was upset community care provider Pact yesterday initiated suspension notices against some staff, following a lockout last Thursday.
"The notices were another attempt to bully staff into taking a pay offer that is less than a quarter of the cost-of-living increase."
The Employment Court issued an interim injunction ordering Pact to lift the lockout last Friday.
Industrial action affects about 200 SFWU and Public Service Association members in Dunedin, Invercargill, Balclutha, Oamaru, and the West Coast, who are seeking more than the 1% offered by Pact.
Pact director of corporate services Paul Chamberlain said Pact had notified suspension for about 13 staff for whom working without paperwork was dangerous.
Mr Chamberlain said he had not realised members planned to drop the actions when initiating the notices.
He welcomed the move to mediation.
