Pact Group staff strike over pay at New Zealand plant

About 50 unionised workers at Pact Packing's Lower Hutt, New Zealand plant staged a two-hour strike on 16 September 2026 after rejecting the company's pay offer. Union E tū said the offer of an extra NZD 0.66 an hour falls well short of the NZD 29.90 living wage, with average pay around NZD 26 an hour. Pact Group said it remains committed to bargaining in good faith under a multi-employer collective agreement covering five other companies.

Why this mattersWage disputes at converting sites signal rising labour cost pressure for packaging manufacturers operating in tight local labour markets.

• About 50 union-affiliated workers struck for two hours on 16 September 2026 at Pact Packing in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
• Pact Group's pay offer was an extra NZD 0.66 an hour.
• Union E tū says average worker pay is around NZD 26 an hour versus a living wage of NZD 29.90.
• Inflation was cited at 4.1 percent.
• Workers had previously sought an 8 percent rise, which would lift average pay to just over NZD 28 an hour.
• The plant is covered by a multi-employer collective agreement including five other companies.

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