FARMERS THREATEN TO TAKE OVER

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32209, 30 January 1970, Page 1

FARMERS THREATEN TO TAKE OVER

(New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, January 29. A group of Manawatu farmers was today threatening to march on the Longburn freezing works and take over its operations as the national mutton butchers’ strike continued into its fourth day.

A spokesman for the “rebel” group of farmers, a former Liberal Party political candidate, Mr R. J. Pedley, of Newbury, said tonight that farmers in the area had become so annoyed by the continual industrial stoppages they were considering marching on the works to take control.

“While the unions and the employers are arguing the farmers are losing out. Some of the farmers are already out of feed but have been forced to take their lambs back to their farms. These lambs need to be killed immediately,” he said.

Later today the president of Federated Farmers, Mr P. S. Plummer, dissociated his organisation from Mr Pedley’s proposals. “At this stage, it is purely a matter of negotiation between employers and employees,” he said. Mr F. B. Thorn, president of the Wellington Freezing Workers’ Union and the North Island Freezing Workkers’ Federation said he did not believe Mr Pedley would be able to go ahead with his threat.

“I don’t think he could get 200 farmers to go through a picket line with pick

handles. Even if he does we will not resist.

“They can go through the picket line, but to man the works they will have to have the concurrence of the management. “There will be no stock made available for killing however and nothing will be shipped out of Longburn. “Under the Meat Act and hygiene regulations stock must be killed by approved slaughtermen. If these amateurs start killing they will have the Meat Board and the Department of Agriculture to contend with.” Freezing workers confirmed today they would not negotiate on mutton and lamb slaughtering until the Longburn works dispute was This was their reply to the meat companies which have threatened to withhold mutton and lamb from the freezing works from Monday if the men have not resumed normal killing by 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The secretary of the Freezing Companies’ Industrial Union of Employers (Mr J. Murray) said tonight that if no answer to the companies' offer to negotiate was

received by 10 a.m. the decision to withhold stock would be implemented. It is believed that beef and veal will still be processed at freezing works and that abattoirs will continue to kill all stock for local markets.

The Federation of Labour was gravely concerned by the freezing companies’ threat to withhold work from the slaughtermen, the secretary of the federation (Mr W. J. Knox), said in Christchurch yesterday. That action would constitute a lock-out and would affect other workers as well. In view of this, the federation would look at the situation again. The secretary of the New Zealand Freezing Workers’ Association (Mr F. E. McNulty) said that the slaughtermen’s margin over the average worker’s pay had fallen 90 per cent since 1917. Fifty per cent of this loss had been suffered during the last 20 years. The basic rate for slaughtermen in Australia was $18.15 for each 100 lambs, Mr McNulty said. In New Zealand the equivalent! figure was $12.60. I