Deadlock at Burnside

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 14

Deadlock at Burnside

(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, January 13.

Talks to try to settle the dispute at the New Zealand Refrigerating Company’s Bumside freezing works today broke down when both parties refused to budge.

Although the Chief Industrial Mediator (Mr J. P. Cranston) was present, neither the company nor the OtagoSouthland branch of the Meatworkers’ Union could agree on terms of a settlement.

Mr Cranston will prepare a report on the dispute for the Minister of Labour (Mr Faulkner). Both parties to the dispute said today that they would wait for Mr

Faulkner’s next move before taking further action. The main issue concerns new hygiene regulations which require mutton slaughtermen to wash their knives and sterilise equipment while killing. The men claim that extra time is required if they are to meet the throughput of stock : expected by the company ■ and at the same time meet ■ the hygiene requirements. i The company requires a ; throughput of 7| ’sheep a • minute for each chain. It ’ claims .the slaughtermen are going slow and it has closed the sheep and lamb side of the works, dismissing 600; workers, because it says it is uneconomic to continue at] the present rate of kill. [ NO RESULT The union’s secretary (Mr A. J. Kennedy) said today’s meeting lasted about three hours. After listening to submissions from each side, Mr Cranston had suggested both parties should try to work out a settlement themselves. A meeting took place, Mr Kennedy said, but the company insisted on a return to work at the original through--1 put tally. ' The company’s manager ] (Mr F. D. Davis-Goff) said the union .maintained that extra time was required to work the chains. The union would not order a resumption of work until this matter had been setlted.