Shift work dispute at venison plant

Press, 15 January 1986, Page 2

Shift work dispute at venison plant

A dispute over shift work has arisen in its first week in force at a deer processing plant in Ashburton. The Canterbury Venison, Ltd, plant began shift work on Monday, the first meatprocessing plant in Canterbury to do so. There had been some resistance from meat workers and meat inspectors, but assurances were given that meat inspectors would man the shifts.

Almost at once, however, a dispute arose over the interpretation of the shift agreement. Talks were held in Wellington yesterday between Public Service Association representatives of the meat inspectors, the State Services Commission, and the Meat division of the Ministry of Agriculture. Meat inspectors and the P.S.A. said afterwards they were not satisfied with the progress of the talks.

A spokesman for the P.S.A., Mr Denis Asher, said that the meat inspectors wanted the same ruling for shifts and manning at Burn-

side and Wairoa Works to be applied at the venison plant.

After yesterday’s failure to reach agreement, meat inspectors were likely to call a meeting at lunchtime today, Mr Asher said.

The assistant commissioner for industrial relations at the commission, Mr Dave Swallow, said the meat inspectors were claiming the work was “clock work,” for which overtime should be paid. The commission said it was shift work, for which a shift allowance was payable. He said meat inspectors were doing a normal day’s work at the plant, but at other than normal hours.

An agreement on shift work provisions was made in the meat inspectors’ award 10 months ago.

Mr Swallow said a complicating factor with meat inspectors was that they were employed by the commission. The owner is Canterbury Venison, Ltd, a part of the Fortex Group.