Oringi meh told: ‘Get back to work and negotiate’

Press, 10 February 1983, Page 2

Oringi meh told: ‘Get back to work and negotiate’

PA Wellington Workers at the troubled Oringi freezing works have been told by the Associate Minister of Finance. Mr Falloon. to "get back to work and negotiate" because their jobs are at stake. "If there is no profit in this company, the same thing will happen as has happened at Patea. Gear Meat, and Southdown," Mr Falloon said. The Pacific Freezing Company's managing director, Mr' Graham Lowe, said earlier yesterday that killing would halt when the freezers were full, probably later in the day. because of a loadout ban. The ban was imposed after the company said that it would not continue discussions on incentive agreements and decided that it would draw up its own plant terms and incentives. Mr Falloon said that workers should not be under any illusions that what happened at Patea. Gear, and Southdown could not happen at Oringi. “Unless there is profit for those who have invested their money, produced by productivity, lower costs than competitors, and more particularly, quality products, the future must be in doubt. "I am absolutely appalled at the number of stop-work meetings that have interfered with quality and profit. When you are talking, you are not working," the Minister said. "If the farming industry and most other industries had worked on the basis of continued stop-work meetings over the last 20 years there would be fewer jobs in the freezing industry and those other industries, today.’’ he said.