Extra 120 jobs provided by abattoir rescue

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 1

Extra 120 jobs provided by abattoir rescue

By

GLENN HASZARD,

industrial reporter

C. .S. Stevens, Ltd, of Christchurch, has invested $5 million to bring the old Christchurch abattoir up to export standard and will employ an additional 120 workers.

The company’s subsidiary, Ashley Meat Exports, put ?1 million into Canterbury Bye Products Meat Processors in March to bring it out of receivership. At the time the jobs of 150 workers at the abattoir, Sockburn, were at risk.

C. S. Stevens has upgraded the abattoir and within the next few months hopes to have jobs not only for the 150 whose livelihood was at risk, but for another 120.

In October, the name of the abattoir company’ ..was changed to Ashley Meat Processors, Ltd, to bring it in line with its new ownership. Canterbury meat retailers, who had a big shareholding in the old abattoir, still have 40 per cent of the shares through Canterbury Bye Products Industries (in receivership). The managing director of

C. S. Stevens and of Ashley Meat Processors, Mr R. H. Trounce, said yesterday that an export licence was granted on November 2 and that the company expected to begin full export production next week. “The only delaying factor is to get final agreement with the union on the rate of pay,” said Mr Trounce. The works will be capable of a daily kill of 3000 sheep, 240 cattle, and 300 pigs. It was one of the last works to convert to rail dressing of beef, from the old cradle system. . ■?**. Mr Trounce said the company hoped to reach a 3000sheep kill by January. The beef kill would depend on what farmers' had available. The works will be open all year, employing its workers permanently rather than seasonally. Asked if the upgrading would benefit farmers through lower killing charges, Mr Trounce said that initially the emphasis would be on paying off some debts to creditors of the old C.B.P. Meat Processors.

■ “When it came out of receivership we were not able to pay some of the creditors,” he said. “So we are looking first at getting it working for export and paying for the upgrading, then we can look at killing charges. The farmer will certainly receive benefits in the future, and local consumers will also benefit. The upgrading will mean we can help hold prices from going up for the housewife.” Half the meat will be for local consumption. . Butchers > would be given the sort of service they had had in the past, Mr Trounce said.

The company plans to market world-wide except to those countries requiring halal, meat.

The Ashley Meat Export works near Kaiapoi, which has a work-force of about 60, will continue unchanged. It processes about 1800 sheep carcases a day. Earlier this year, C. S. Stevens, Ltd, helped finance the New Zealand rowing team to the world championship in Switzerland.