■ NIGHTFILL: Karen Nhea, Mariu Taha and Tina Minhinnick want a liveable wage and a nightfill allowance

After just SIX weeks of an NDU membership drive at The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery more than 1200 workers joined the NDU.

Among the new Warehouse members who have signed up are Tina Minhinnick, Karen Nhea and Mariu Taha who work nightfill at The Warehouse Pukekohe.

The Newsletter for the National Distribution Union campaign at The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery. Check out our campaign website at www.warehouseworker.org.nz

In this issue:
* Project Invigorate - An update on Project Invigorate at The Warehouse
* Union Co-operation needed
* Are you on the right pay rate? - The union is sending out a survey

Bargain hunters came calling to The Warehouse yesterday in anticipation of a speedy resurrection in takeover activity after hints that the Extra format could be dropped.

The share price climbed as much as 4.4 per cent - despite a 21 per cent fall in full-year earnings - after chief executive Ian Morrice said the company was reviewing the Extra strategy after a tailing-off in its vaunted "halo effect" in the second half of the year.

Foodstuffs is not going to follow Woolworths to the Supreme Court to seek clearance to buy The Warehouse Group.

Foodstuffs’ decision to sit out the Supreme Court petition has reignited talk of a Stephen Tindall, Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and Foodstuffs (or any combination of the above) joint purchase, in line with what was proposed in mid-2007.

At the time, PEP and Tindall proposed an $878 million dollar plan to buy the remaining 49 per cent of the company, and take it private. Foodstuffs was later rumoured to be working with PEP at the time.

Australian retailing giant Woolworths is taking its fight to bid for The Warehouse to New Zealand's highest court.

Woolworths yesterday announced that it was seeking leave from the Supreme Court to appeal against the recent decision setting aside its clearance to bid for the country's largest listed retailer.

The Court of Appeal had last month overturned a High Court decision giving rival supermarket operators Woolworths and Foodstuffs the green light to bid for the Red Sheds.

"The Court of Appeal decision preventing Woolworths or Foodstuffs buying The Warehouse Ltd is good news for the workers and customers of all three companies," said Laila Harre, National Secretary of the National Distribution Union.

"The NDU has just started organising workers in The Warehouse retail stores, hundreds of who have joined the union in the last few weeks," she said.

Mhairi Findlay is a clothing supervisor at The Warehouse Lincoln Rd. She has worked at The Warehouse for 12 years and is on $15.44.

Mhairi joined the NDU when the union support team first visited her store.

She says she joined because she doesn’t feel workers at The Warehouse have a voice at work and aren’t listened to.

The Newsletter for the National Distribution Union campaign at The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery. Check out our campaign website at www.warehouseworker.org.nz

In this issue:
* Why I joined the NDU - Mhairi Findlay, The Warehouse Lincoln Rd explains why she's joined our union
* Membership reaches 500
* What is "Project Invigorate?" - It's important, have you heard about it?

Project Invigorate is coming to your store

The Warehouse is restructuring it’s retail stores nationwide in 2009.

These changes will have an impact on you and your co-workers.

Download the leaflet.

Make sure you know your rights.

The Invigorate Process

Week 1: Launch Meetings

Each meeting goes for two hours and includes a manager’s presentation and a change workshop.

■ SURPISED: Vivian’s pay rise means she has more money to spend on Dyan (8) and Romy (11)

Warehouse delegate Vivian MacDonald says the NDU has already made a huge difference at work, even before negotiations have started.

“Suddenly, after everyone joined the new union, the company had a break-through and found finances that they said weren’t there only months before.”