Meat talks with P.M. on Wed.

Press, 25 October 1980, Page 6

Meat talks with P.M. on Wed.

PA Auckland' Freezing works union: leaders and officials will meet the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) in Wellington on Wednesday to discuss the closing of the Southdown works. i •'.-The 4 p.m. start to the! meeting has been timed so j that the national secretary! of,the Meat Workers’ Union, i Mr A. J. Kennedy, can fly from Christchurch after the resumption of meat industry awards•. talks earlier on Tuesday. - ■ . r „ Others to attend the talks i will be the Auckland union! leaders,? Messrs F. E. -.Bam- ‘ aid and T;? J. Kelly; the Southdown T works union committee; .and/the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger). .Ministerial - talks .with the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Co-operative’s management are expected to follow the union discussions.

I It seems unlikely that a ’proposed meat export loadout ban by two freezing works unions to protest against the Southdown . closing will go ” ahead jon November 10. Only. one big branch’s work-force" .jhas voted' so" -far — the ij branch at Southdown. .. . ,i Mr Barnard said , he j would hold ballots at the J Bay of Plenty works and : Horotiu during the week ■ beginning November 3. t It is expected to be at least another eight days -or more /before the Hellaby, Westp field, and Moerewa works] j vote on-whether to-.impose aj • load-out ban. • • i Outside the' ; Auckland - province, the Nelw Zealand Meat Workers’ Union is ex-i : pected to take another three) •Ito four weeks to hold branch ji ballots among 20,000 freezing /workers,