Meat workers’ award only partly settled

Press, 19 April 1986, Page 1

Meat workers’ award only partly settled

Wellington

Agreement on a new award was reached between meat companies and the southern Meat Workers’ Union last evening after seven months of negotiations.

However, representatives of the northern Freezing Workers’ Union walked out of the talks about 30 minutes before a settlement was reached. The three northern union assessors left a letter with the conciliator, Mr Len Fortune, declaring they would not sign the award. The letter indicated that the union’s stand could change after meetings of the executive and membership. The union’s president, Mr Frank z Barnard, refused to speak to reporters as he left the conciliation rooms, indicating only the letter he had just handed to Mr Fortune. The letter was signed by Mr Barnard; the union’s secretary, Mr Ross Evans: and the Tomoana branch secretary, Mr Bruce Stobie. The three men said in the letter they strongly disagreed with the signing of the award. No reason was given. They asked Mr Fortune to pass on their protest to the Arbitration Court. Earlier, the northern union refused to be involved in a Beehive

agreement which ended the pay strike by the Meat Workers’ Union. The agreement was for a $35 a week increase and the new award to expire on December 31 instead of running for the usual 12 months. Northern freezing workers have remained on strike for a higher wage settlement. Mr Fortune described last evening’s position as a Claytons settlement. The award would be sent to the Arbitration Court with the message that the agreement of the assessors was not unanimous. Under the Industrial Relations Act, the Court could send the dispute to a mediator, refer it back for further conciliation talks, or settle it with a determination, but only if the parties agreed. Under the part-settle-ment, Meat Workers’ Union members will receive $35 a week increase, backdated to April 7.

The Meat Industry Association’s executive director, Mr Peter Blomfield, said the increase would be paid as soon as possible.

Agreements were also reached on shift work and the introduction of new technology, although the shift issue appeared to threaten the settlement right to the last minute. After earlier declaring his confidence that a settlement was close, Mr Fortune called three representatives of each side to a hurried series of corridor meetings when it appeared the talks might break down. Even when Mr Fortune called both groups of asssessors together to sign the final agreement, there appeared to be some reluctance, particularly on the union side. The Meat Workers’ Union secretary, Mr A. J. Kennedy, said after the settlement that the agreements on both shift work and new technology were complicated. The shift agreement included an exchange of letters between the union and the companies, he said. He was confident the settlement would be accepted by the union’s membership. He declined to comment on the northern refusal to sign. Mr Blomfield said what

he termed a broad agreement on both shift work and new technology was a big step. There would no doubt be some practical problems and shift changes would take some time to implement. He hoped the northern union would reconsider its position and agree to sign the award.

Federated Farmers’ meat and wool chairman, Mr Bruce Anderson, greeted with relief the news that the award had been settled, and called on the northern Meat Workers’ Union to settle immediately. "The Auckland meat workers must face up to reality, bring commonsense attitudes to bear on the issues, and settle at once,” he said. The hold-up now was stupid and was only putting the union’s own members’ livelihood in jeopardy, he said. Mr Anderson said the Meat Workers’ Union agreement on technology and shift work seemed a big step forward although he would like to check the fine print.

He was critical of the length of time it had taken to settle the award.