Meat workers’ strike continues, offer rejected

Press, 13 April 1988, Page 6

Meat workers’ strike continues, offer rejected

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL

industrial reporter

I The strike at Ashley Meats in Kaiapoi is: continuing today after 110 meat workers at the plant yesterday rejected: an | offer by the company. The works manager for C. S. Stevens at Kaiapoi, Mr Terry Kreft, J said workers planned to meet again tomorrow. He said the offer had been to return to normal work in return for a renegotiation of the workers’ contract. The dispute centres on the introduction of a

stringing machine at the site last Thursday which prompted a walk-out by the workers. ' The strike has meant a reduced kill at the nearby C. S. Stevens freezing works. Mr Kreft said the stringing machine was covered by a co-operative contract. “We are only asking the workers to stick to that,” he said. J| The Ashley Meats contract! was a site agreement which. the |: company wanted continued, said Mr Kreft. “We have never had

any problems with a site agreement,” he said. But he said | the union plans were compounding the problem by not allowing negotiation of the separate shed agreement , because “it! was against union plans.” I The union has said it j wants separate agree--1 ments such as the Ashley ! Meats deal included in the national award, while the employers want them ! out. Mr Geoff Taylor, the secretary of the Canterbury branch of (the union, ! oould not be reached for oomment. |