Margarine strike may spread

Press, 8 March 1982, Page 6

Margarine strike may spread

Disruption may be caused in the food-processing industry this week as companies producing cakes, biscuits, and confectionery run out of essential industrial margarine. Workers at New Zealand’s two biggest margarine-pro-ducing plants, Abels, Ltd, and Aspak Industries, both in Auckland, have taken action because pay talks have broken down. Abels workers arc on

strike, while Aspak workers have imposed bans on loading. * ' . As a result, many factories producing food lines dependent on margarine are running out of-’ work for their employees. 7 Hundreds face suspension throughout the ’North Island from today unless normal work resumes- quickly at Abels and Aspak. Workers at" both plants will meet today. The com-

panies have offered a 12 per. cent wage rise over a 14month period. The Food Processing . and ChemicalWorkers’ Union seeks more than 13 per cent. •, The union says, that the employers’ offer means an increase of about 10 per cent over a normal 12-month award period. The national secretary, Mr T. O’Shea,, of Wellington, will attend today’s meetings. The employers’ advocate,

Mr Garry Pollak, said he was waiting to hear of the settlement of the National Foodstuffs Award in Welling- . ton. This could have a significant bearing on the dispute, he said. The Food Preserving Award, applying mainly to Watties and Unilever, had been settled before Christmas, with a pay rise of 12.1 per cent, and settlement of the National Foodstuffs agreement might be even higher.