PHOTO: Auckland’s Central Rail Link and a major Watercare project are in an employment tug-of-war as a shortage of specialist staff causes problems. Credits: Newshub.
An unusual employment tug-of-war has developed between two of Auckland’s major building projects.
The Central Rail Link and a major Waterare project both need the same set of skilled workers, but the issue is there’s only enough staff in the country for one of the tunnels.
Both projects need the specialised TBM tunnel boring machine operators, which the Central Rail Link currently has. Newshub has learned those staff are now subject to poaching attempts from Watercare’s central interceptor project because they can’t get the skilled workers from overseas quickly enough.
“Watercare is a very big company, it has a big impact on Auckland and New Zealand so I don’t know why they didn’t advocate a lot harder to get them in,” Northern Amalgamated Workers Union secretary Maurice Davis says.
“If the Wiggles can get in, why can’t these TBM operators get in.”
Davis says with one council project competing with another, it’s a bidding war for staff and there are big offers.
“It’s rumours [how much more they’re offering to pay], but it’s something between $20,000 to $100,000.”
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