Lay-off at Chch works

Press, 5 September 1988, Page 7

Lay-off at Chch works

More than 100 workers will be laid off from the C. S. Stevens Sockburn plant after failure to reach agreement with the Meat Workers’ Union over a shift at the plant.

Stevens’ general manager (processing), Mr Bryan Ward, said up to 150 workers, who usually worked year-round, would be laid off this week. Off-season killing was uneconomic at the plant and the company had been trying to reach agreement for shift work, he said. The laid-off workers were from the mutton chain and the earliest they were likely to begin work again was November. The union had formed a national executive to negotiate shift work, said Mr Ward. That executive was more concerned with national issues than plant-by-plant concerns. The company had

offered to safeguard current jobs and those on the shift. The company had offered about $5O a week for the new shift workers and existing workers. “In net terms that is the equivalent of the last three years wage-round increases,” said Mr Ward. “We have bent over backwards to try to get a deal.” Mr Ward said he did not believe there was a genuine effort by the union to negotiate a deal. The Meat Workers’ Union Canterbury branch secretary, Mr Geoff Taylor, was not available for comment. Mr Taylor was one of

the union team involved in the negotiations.