Deadlock still on Oringi

Press, 18 March 1983, Page 6

Deadlock still on Oringi

The dispute that has paralysed the new $22 million meat works at Oringi. near Dannevirke, for a month was absolutely deadlocked yesterday, the workers making no change in their demand and the company saying it had no new moves to make. The workers met yesterday morning at a regular weekly meeting, but no proposals to alter their stand were made. On the other side, the managing director of the Pacific Freezing Company, Mr Graeme Lowe, said last evening that he would make a statement today, but he declined to give any indication of what it would contain.

Last week the company said that if the dispute was not settled the works might have to close, and it is believed that the statement

might contain some details

of Pacific Freezing's finances to support this. Asked last evening if he would be announcing the

works’ closing today, Mr

Lowe said, “No, we are not

quite at that stage yet.’

The parties met the Minister of Labour, Mr Bolger, on Monday to try to reach a compromise, but without success. A meeting was held on Wednesday under an independent chairman, Mr Len Fortune, a Christchurch conciliator, also without making any progress. The dispute is over a pay agreement. Oringi was given exemption from the wage and price freeze to negotiate an agreement because it did not have one when the freeze was imposed last June. The stoppage began when the union believed that it had reached an agreement with the company, but the company reconsidered its position and said it could not afford it.