Safeguards Sought For Freezing Workers

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31234, 5 December 1966, Page 20

Safeguards Sought For Freezing Workers

The proposed use of pallets for meat would undoubtedly affect large numbers of freezing workers, said the general secretary of the Freezing Workers’ Association (Mr F. E. McNulty).

This was because meat loading, both in and out of works, in this country was performed by freezing workers.

The association considered that suggestions for the speeding up of cargo handling, particularly the proposed new methods of handling meat for export, must take into consideration such questions as the displacement of workers. Also to be considered were

provision for redundancy pay, pensions, long service leave, holidays and sick leave. Mr McNulty said that the recommendations of such bodies as the Cargo Handling Committee, which affected the freezing industry, could not be instituted unless the workers in the industry were also consulted and agreement was reached on safeguards in relation to their employment. The introduction of mechanisation in the American meat industry between 1956 and 1965 caused a 20.5 per cent drop in the industry’s labour force, Mr McNulty said. The association did not oppose improved technology and mechanisation, he said.