Posted on 4-8-2003

The Warehouse Another Carriage On Gravy Train
From Stephen Tindall- the woman,  1st August 2003
 
"Not only should The Warehouse Ltd hand back the $21,090 they received from Industry New Zealand this year, they should also hand back the $50,786 Job Plus subsidies they received from WINZ last year to subsidise wages for their employees," says Stephen Tindall - the woman, founder of MADENZ.
 
"It is incomprehensible that a company such as The Warehouse Ltd, that has destroyed thousands of manufacturing jobs in New Zealand due to its preference to source products made by foreigners, can then turn around and receive tax payer funding to subsidise its low paid workers - many of whom may have lost their well paid jobs in manufacturing."
 
"Not only does The Warehouse Ltd benefit from the "Job Plus "WINZ scheme, many of their part-time workers also receive "employment benefit" top-ups from WINZ because they cannot survive on their pitiful part-time Warehouse wages."
 
"While The Warehouse Ltd profits handsomely and boasts to its shareholders of a reduction in their "wages-to-turnover" ratio, the taxpayer is subsidising this reduction by way of wage subsidies and employment benefit top ups because workers at The Warehouse cannot survive on their miserable pay packets. "
 
"Rather than increase their profits at the expense of the tax payer, The Warehouse Ltd should pay their staff living wages from the $1.6 billion they receive each year from New Zealand consumers. "
 
Defending his company's receipt of Industry New Zealand funding, The Warehouse Ltds  founder Mr Stephen Tindall, stated today that "we have been the meat in the sandwich here".
 
"In my view, The Warehouse Ltd is just another carriage on the gravy train", Ms Tindall said. 
 
Ends
Contact: Stephen Tindall -the woman, MADENZ, Tel/Fax 07 5745822