Meat workers’ mood volatile

Press, 4 February 1986, Page 2

Meat workers’ mood volatile

Industrial reporter

Meat workers in Canterbury are in a volatile mood as employees In the industry prepare for possible concerted industrial action after February 14. The secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Meat Workers’ Union, Mr R. G. Kirk, said that they believed that jobs had been exported from Canterbury because of live sheep exports to Mexico. They were angry also because in the last wage round they got a 5.2 per cent wage increase while other workers got a 7 per cent increase.

“They have not had a decent wage rise for three years,” he said. The last of many shed meetings to discuss action by Canterbury meat

workers will be held at Canterbury Frozen Meat, at Belfast, today. The president of the Federation of Labour, Mr Jim Knox, warned on Sunday evening that meat companies would face a co-ordinated campaign of industrial action unless they agreed to give workers a pay increase of 15.5 per cent. Union officials from the two meat workers’ unions, tradesmen’s unions, and the Freezing Industry Clerical Officers’ Union will meet on February 14 to chart a plan of action. The Meat Industry Association has maintained that the industry is not able to afford a wage increase of 15.5 per cent. The association’s press officer, Mr Paul Hemsley,

said from Wellington yesterday that the emphasis of the wage round had been an industry’s ability to pay. Workers had always enjoyed a premium above that enjoyed by others with similar skills outside the industry. “Now we cannot afford those premiums and the worker in our industry is going to have to adjust his expectations,” said Mr Hemsley.

The industry has offered meat workers a flat increase of $23 a week and tradesmen $25 a week. For meat workers the offer translates to a percentage increase of about 4 to 5 per cent for those on piece rates such as slaughtermen.