Union backs subbie lawsuit
E tu¯ says it will get in behind a proposed ‘‘class action’’ lawsuit against Chorus’ main contractor, Australian-owned Visionstream, and contracting companies working for Visionstream.
The union’s national organiser, Joe Gallagher, believed about 3500 workers who have been involved in building Chorus’ ultra-fast broadband (UFB) network could have a claim for unpaid entitlements.
Law firm Shine Lawyers revealed on Tuesday that it had what it described as the ‘‘horrendous conditions’’ of workers building the UFB network in its sights.
Shine Lawyers Auckland associate Tim Gunn said it hoped to win back pay, holiday pay and sick pay for an army of subcontractors who he argued had been offered work on ‘‘sham contracts’’. He said they were entitled to be treated as employees instead of contractors.
Visionstream and Chorus, which is not expected to be directly targeted by the lawsuit, have both declined to comment about the potential legal action.
Gallagher said E tu¯ planned to support
Shine by encouraging subbies to support a class action.
The union hoped to arrange a closed meeting between subbies, the union and Shine Lawyers in Auckland at the end of February or early in March, he said.
‘‘I think [Shine] have got a good argument. The message I am putting out to all my contractors is the union fully supports taking a class action and we are trying to get contractors to come forward. ‘‘The union wants to create an environment where they can do that without fear,’’ Gallagher said. Shine Lawyers is listed on the Australian stock exchange, and in 2014 brought a $1 billion bank-fee claim against Australian banks.