Salaried staff kill ewes

Press, 16 June 1978, Page 4

Salaried staff kill ewes

PA Invercargill Salaried at the Ocean Beach freezing works began mercy killing 1200 starving ewes yesterday because union and company officials were no closer to settling a two-week-old slaughtermen’s dispute. The unprecedented step was taken after consultation with freezing workers and Supervisors’ Guild representatives.

Seven thousand ewes bought by the company and held on company land since June 2, were inspected by a veterinarian yesterday. The decision to slaughter the animals was taken for "purely humanitarian reasons.” a statement from the Ocean Beach Company, said.

The secretary of the Ocean Beach Freezing Workers’ Union (Mr T. Taurima) sanctioned the move on the con-

ditions that they be killed purely for humanitarian reasons and not for financial gain or experimental purposes.

Mr Taurima was approached by members of the Supervisors’ Guild (the foremen’s equivalent of a union) for his sanction in writing before agreeing to kill the animals.

Meanwhile, the industrial mediator (Mr W. R. Grills) intervened in the two-week slaughtermen’s dispute but no progress towards a settlement was apparently made. At Makarewa, the Southland Frozen Meat Company refused to offer stock for slaughter on the union’s conditions and the men went home. The situation was unchanged late yesterday morning, said the assistant general manager (Mr C. Snow).