Stoke union call for technology agreement

Press, 17 February 1983, Page 2

Stoke union call for technology agreement

PA Nelson A new technology agreement for the industry was needed before the daily kill could be increased to 3200 head at the Stoke freezing works, where a new automatic pelter was in use, said a Meat Workers’ Union official in Nelson. Mr Kevin Mead, Stoke president of the union, said that news media reports had given the misleading impression that Stoke meat workers were not using the new pelter, but this was not correct. Mr Mead said the company and the national union had agreed on the trials for the pelter at Stoke. The prototype had been used last season and a new pelter used this season.

“We must use the new machine,. otherwise we cannot kill at the works,” he said.

“We cannot jeopardise our position. We are worried about loss of jobs with the introduction of new technology, and we want to avoid

further unemployment,” he said. - 1

Mr Mead said that the Stoke freezing works could have been working at an increased capacity of 3200 head a day now, if the new automatic pelter had not been installed. When the works’ kill was increased from about 2200 to 2500 head five years ago “there was talk” then that the kill could be increased to 3200 head.

“But we were not given a chance to do it in the traditional way,” said Mr Mead. Until two weeks ago the follow-on departments from the pelter were not capable of keeping up with a kill of 3200.

He said there was some doubt if they could now. But meat workers were killing a full 2500 head a day five days a week and 1250 sheep and lambs on Saturday mornings.

The boning room was working on Saturday morning to help clear a backlog of mutton.