Meat works locks out 350 after stoppages

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 1

Meat works locks out 350 after stoppages

DAVE WILSON

Strikes, a walk-out, and a lockout followed each other at the Stevens N.C.F. Kaiapoi freezing works yesterday as boiler attendants, and then meat workers walked off the job, and employers announced a suspension until next week of striking staff.

In an escalating sequence of events tbat halted all killing at the works, four boiler attendants embarked on a three-day strike due to end at midnight tomorrow, but later served notice of a second strike, to run from midnight Thursday until Tuesday morning. The 350 Meat Workers’ Union members at the plant walked off the job after non-union staff were brought into run the boilers.

The works manager, Mr Robert Cooke, said last evening that the meat workers had been suspended until next Tuesday, and although boiler attendants had indicated they would work on Thursday, no work would be offered to them.

The suspensions would be lifted immediately if the strike and walk-outs were called off, said Mr Cooke. Strike action will be taken also by the boilerman at the Ashley

Meat Exports plant at Sockbum, the action scheduled to begin at midnight on December 3 and run until midnight, December 7. This was announced by the South Island advocate for the Engine Drivers’ Union, Mr Norman Dewes. It was intended that all action be concluded before the Freezing Industry Tradesmen’s wage talks convened in Wellington on December 9. Mr Dewes said the action followed a breakdown in the boilermen’s national award talks. It was possible Industrial action could also be taken at Ashburton, Timaru and in the Otago-South-land area, he said. As well as the award impasse, the extended strike was a reply to the company’s attempts to persuade boilermen at Kaiapoi to join the Meat Workers’ Union, and the use of non-union labour to run the boilers at the plant A meat workers’ spokesman

was unavailable for comment last evening, but Mr Dewes said the Kaiapoi meat workers walked off the job in protest against the use of “black steam.”

Mr Cooke confirmed that 350 meat workers had walked off and had now been suspended.

"This whole strike is a lesson in futility. The boilermen are paid under the Freezing Industry Tradesmen’s agreement which is not due to expire until December 31, and they are paid about $3 an hour above the award rate.” “The meat workers were suspended until Thursday morning, but because there has been a notice of further industrial action by the boilermen, the suspensions will now be lifted when the boilermen resume normal work.” Mr Cooke said because of the production cycle at the freezing works, the plant would be unable to kill stock on Thursday even if boilermen resumed work for the day.