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600 Christchurch jobs up in the air (1:42)
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A union is suggesting workers at Christchurch Casino are being treated like the rubble that now litters the city, in light of the redundancy package being offered to them.
Over 500 workers at the casino are being urged by the Service and Food Workers Union not to accept the deal being offered by casino management, suggesting it is not a "real redundancy package."
The staff have received full pay since the earthquake last month at a cost of $410,000 per week to the casino. Those who decide to take redundancy will get four weeks pay, plus any accrued leave and entitlements.
The staff can also choose to keep their jobs, using up their annual leave then taking leave without pay until further notice.
The workers are being offered the deal due to the prolonged closure of the business following the February earthquake, and uncertainty over when it will reopen.
However, the Service and Food Workers Union says the casino can do better for their workers, who are now facing an uncertain future.
"They should not accept this," Spokesperson Len Richards told TV ONE's Breakfast.
"It's not a redundancy deal."
Richards said the offered redundancy is no more than the payout for the four-week notice period that the workers were eligible for in any case.
He said instead, the package should have provided staff with up to 18 weeks wages.
"There are 500 workers who have been basically consigned to the scrap heap, just like the rubble of Christchurch."
Richards said the company needs to give them time to think about and discuss the options.
"This has just been rushed upon them and they have not consulted the union," he said.
The casino's chief executive Brett Anderson said that the situation was regrettable.
He said it was the last thing the casino wanted to do with its staff, who have been devastated by two earthquakes, but it was not viable to continue with a $410,000 per week payroll.
"It is unfortunate we are in this position, but given the circumstances, this is the best option we have," he said.
"The reality is we are a business."
However Richards told Breakfast the emphasis on rebuilding business was neglecting people's needs in Christchurch.
"In the meantime, people are out of work, people's lives come to a halt...in the meantime people are in huge crisis."
Richards said the government was failing to plan for people's lives and jobs.
"The government support that has been put in place for 60,000 workers...is coming to an end."
He described the situation as "just the first wave of a tsunami of unemployment.
"It's a social disaster for Christchurch...I think the government really doesn't have any plans to deal with it."
He says the union believes a labour force needs to be put in place to help re-build people's lives.
However Prime Minister John Key told Breakfast this morning that the government was doing a lot to help workers in Christchruch.
"We put about $8 or $9 million into a workers' support...and people's support after the first earthquake," he said.
"This one, after 14 weeks we will have put a quarter of a billion in. So we're certainly putting a lot of cash in to try and help those workers. "
Key said however that was a temporary fix.
"We've also funded a lot of business mentors, so we're going in there and saying 'look you've had 14 weeks and you can't get into the CBD, you can't get into your business, how are you going to operate, what's the plan, how many staff do you have, where could you operate from, what could we do to support you', so there's a lot of things in that area, and there's more things to come in that space where we're trying to help those companies."
He said it was also positive to see the private sector stepping up to help.
In defence of Sky City, Key told Breakfast he thought Sky City was doing all they could in a tough situation.
"I think Sky City are doing a very good job here, they've paid their workers for 6 weeks, secondly they are saying 'stay with us, take annual leave if you can, we are doing everything we can to get the casino open," he told Breakfast.
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