Aussies indifferent to third walkout

Striking Brake and Transmission workers have received little sympathy from their new Australian boss.

Bapcor chief executive Darryl Abotomey called the ongoing pay dispute a ‘‘pimple on a pumpkin’’ and would not get involved.

Distribution centre workers at the Auckland-based car parts supplier walked off the job yesterday for the third time in as many months over stalled pay negotiations.

Brake and Transmission (BNT) was bought by Bapcor as part of its takeover of Hellaby Holdings earlier this month.

First Union organiser Emir Hodzic said workers have been in negotiations since August last year and the company was yet to make a ‘‘meaningful offer’’.

‘‘We thought Bapcor’s takeover may have slowed things down, that’s understandable, but now the takeover is confirmed negotiations are still stalled,’’ he said.

It appeared BNT simply did not want to negotiate, despite the growing dispute.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union has written to Bapcor’s management and members of Australia’s National Union of Workers have sent support to the BNT workers, Hodzic said.

it was a local issue that would be left up to local management to resolve.

‘‘We know there’s an issue there, we know they’re working through it, we know it’s a small percentage of the work place.’’

The distribution centre workers walked off the job in December and January.

Hodzic said working people were feeling the pinch

‘‘They’re struggling to sustain their families while the cost of housing keeps going up but their wages remain the same.’’