Alleged discrimination closes meat plant

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33779, 27 February 1975, Page 3

Alleged discrimination closes meat plant

Alleged sex discrimination forced the closing of a meat processing plant at Kaiapoi yesterday.

The dispute arose after six women employed by Ashley Meat 'Exports were given dismissal notices to take effect from Friday, February 28. The Canterbury Meat Workers’ Union alleged that the company was “deliberately discriminating against female labour.” But the managing director of the company (Mr R. H. Trounce) said the allegation was “totally absurd.” The changing demand from the firm’s export markets forced it to change its methods of production and it endeavoured to Use women for jobs other than those for which they were, originally employed. i

“Unfortunately this did not prove successful and we had no option but to employ other experienced workers for these positions,” Mr Trounce said in a statement last evening. The 39 workers at the (plant in Kaiapoi met yesterday and decided to ask the management to withdraw the dismissal notices while talks took place. The request was refused. Males employed A union organiser (Mr R. G. Kirk) said that because 13 union members — all male — had begun employment since the six women were engaged, the workers felt that the company was discriminating against female labour. The workers unanimously

agreed that when the need for redundancy arose the rule of last on first off should apply. The redundancies had been caused by a contract incentive system and therefore the plant should revert to the hourly rate of production, thus enabling everyone to remain employed, the workers believed. Mr Kirk said that the company had refused to put jup stock for processing ■ unless it was handled at

contract speed. “This was I totally unacceptable to the workers and the manage-; ment sent everyone home J The union considers that the! situation is one of a deliberate lock-out.” Mr Kirk said that these’ prepared to work the con-! tract rate would turn up this I morning for work, and Mr Trounce said that work would be available for the remainder of the staff as soon as they were ready to resume normal work. Mr Trounce said that noi industry could continue to) carry staff when they could, not be gainfully employed, i “We, a struggling new com-1 pany are no exception.” ; The decision to dismiss the six women was. not taken lightly and came after many weeks of fruitless discussion with the union, he said. The management has in-, vited the union for discussions on Monday, March 3, but Mr Kirk said that he felt that this was too long after the dismissal notices had been issued. -