Shift-work test case industrial action likely

Press, 30 January 1986, Page 7

Shift-work test case industrial action likely

Wellington reporter

Meat inspectors are understood to have given 14 days notice of industrial action at Canterbury Venison, Ltd, in Ashburton. Public Service Association officials negotiating for the meat inspectors were not available to confirm reports but Mr Noel Parker, of the Industrial Relations Division of the State Services Commission, said he understood the P.S.A. had sent notice of impending action in writing. The dispute relates to interpretation of working conditions in the second shift of the recently opened plant. Mr Parker, accompanied by the acting director of the Meat Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Bryan Hendren, visited the works last week and after speaking with meat inspectors and management at the plant, confirmed

their view that the work was shift-work rather than overtime as claimed by the P.S.A. The commission has suggested to the P.S.A. that the case be taken to the Government Services Tribunal if it disagrees with the Interpretation, but inspectors want it taken to mediation. Mr Parker said the commission believed mediation was inappropriate because the correct legal procedure was to go to the tribunal and also because the case is a test case.

Any strike action by meat inspectors would almost certainly shut down the second shift, said the plant’s manager, Mr David Hearn. The shift could work without a meat inspector if it was not cutting meat for E.E.C. countries. An hourly circuit inspection would be done by a veterinarian.

"At the moment we are not cutting for the E.E.C. but we certainly intend to.

“It’s no good hiding from the problem, there will be a time when we need a meat inspector on the second shift.”

Mr Hearn has described the firm as the “meat in the sandwich” in the dispute which could have implications on 28 works waiting to introduce shiftwork.

If the meat inspectors were successful in their claim for “clock” time it would spell the end of the second shift and meat workers’ jobs would be lost, he said.

An agreement on shiftwork provisions had been made between the Ministry and the P.S.A., and then between Canterbury Venison, Limited, and the Canterbury branch of the Meatworkers’ Union about

nine months ago. The day shift would continue as long as a meat inspector was present, Mr Hearn said.