Hawke's Bay Watties factory staff go on strike: 'We're like the poor cousins who gets paid a little bit less'

Mates Union organiser John Young claimed in an interview with RNZ that the workers at the Watties Tomoana site were paid 3 percent less than their colleagues down the road at another Watties plant, on King Street.

"We're like the poor cousins who gets paid a little bit less... we did a deal to line up with King Street but we still haven't lined up, and are 3 percent away," he said.

Young said there's been a "significant and ongoing dispute" since 2023, when Watties and the Union, he said, had signed a terms of settlement, agreeing that in three years' time they would line up the pay at both sites.

Watties told RNZ in a statement they "remain committed to negotiating in good faith with the Union, engaging respectfully, communicating openly and working constructively towards an agreed resolution for our people".

About 70 workers stood outside the Tomoana factory for three hours on Wednesday morning in protest, and Young estimated nearly 100 staff had walked off the job today.

He said that would have an impact on operations.

"A lot of the people that I represent are key people, very experienced operators, tradespeople and so forth.

"It's definitely disruptive, but hopefully they get the message and we get back to the table and sort things out."

Young said the Union was requesting that Watties back pays workers to February 2026.