Freezing workers’ lost wage bill: $18M

Press, 5 March 1982, Page 3

Freezing workers’ lost wage bill: $18M

PA Hastings Striking freezing workers lost $lB million in wages to gain an extra $300,000 in redundancy pay for 314 seasonal workers who lost their jobs when the Gear Meat processing plant at Petone closed last year, said a company spokesman yesterday. That was just one of the costs being counted yesterday as freezing works throughout New Zealand resumed production after a 14-day strike. Some works will begin killing today. The Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Meat Company, owner of Gear, agreed on Wednesday to a settlement hammered out by the Gov-ernment-appointed mediator, Mr Tom Skinner, after days of bargaining with the company and the Meat Workers’

Union. A company spokesman said it had agreed to an increased redundancy payment of about $300,000, making the total payout about $1.7 million. The spokesman said the company strongly refuted suggestions the settlement was a “sell-out” to the union. “Certainly, the company acceded to the recommendation of Mr Skinner which increased payments to some of the redundant workers,” said the spokesman, “but the additional payments finally agreed to were only a portion of the monetary demand of the union leaders. “Apart from the financial losses of all other parties it is estimated union members at all striking works lost about $lB million in wages

and the increased redundancy payments agreed to at Petone would be approximately $300,000.” Loadouts of meat strikebound in company freezers started early yesterday to ships waiting for North American, United Kingdom, and European cargoes. A Meat Board spokesman said the strike had ended when the meat export trade was on the brink of serious problems. There would still be some disruptions, however, because of repositioning requirements for ships and containers. The spokesman said the strike had affected some exports. Ships had already left with empty hold space for the Soviet Union and North America.