Short-sighted attitude of union, says farmer

Press, 9 October 1987, Page 31

Short-sighted attitude of union, says farmer

The New Zealand Meat Workers’ Union has been accused of beipg shortsighted in its fight against the introduction of a double shift at Fortex’s Seafield works. Mr Alan Grant, an Ashburton farmer, said the union’s stance would allow inefficiencies in the industry to continue. They would reduce profitability and ensure a continued decline in the number of animals available for slaughter. The number of jobs in the industry would also fall. Although Mr Grant is the junior vice-president of the Meat and Wool Section of Mid-Canterbury Federated Farmers and the Ashburton representative on the Meat and Wool Board’s Electoral Committee, he made the comments as an individual. The union has argued that the introduction of shiftwork on the slaughterboard at Seafield was not acceptable when most existing works were

operating below capacity. The move could force other works to close. “While the union’s stance would seem reasonable to persons not familiar with the industry, it is a superficial and short-sighted attitude if they wish to maintain employment levels in the long term,” said Mr Grant . “The adoption of shiftwork might contribute to the closure of some existing works, either directly or otherwise, but these closures will happen anyway because of the need to reduce the capacity to match the lowered demand for killing spaceeach day. “Shiftwork will -not of itself reduce the number of staff required on the slaughterboard to handle the total production. Although the daily throughput per works can be doubled, so too will the staff numbers to .handle the second shift,” he said. “A double shift would allow a much more efficient use of the capital cost of each works, enable further decreases in processing costs, and help keep the industry competitive with overseas meat companies who operate shiftwork exten-

sively.” ’ The union’s intransigence on the matter seemed to be aimed at maintaining the status quo and keeping as many freezing works as possible working half days and short seasons. "Economic forces more powerful than any union will eventually dictate the levels of employment and types of operation necessary for the industry,” Mr Grant said. Change, such as the proliferation of new plants and upgraded export abbatoirs bn a regional basis, would continue. “Although not all of -these experiments aimed at lowering costs would be successful, it is necessary for the industry that they do occur. "A reluctance to change and holding back against the inevitable only seems to result in more pain and dislocation for those affected when the change is eventually forced upon them,” said- Mr Grant “For the sake of the industry it is important that the unions exercise their power responsibly and do not fall into the trap of short-sightedness.”