Alliance suspends 50

Press, 11 May 1989, Page 3

Alliance suspends 50

By RICHARD CRESSWELL Fifty meat workers were suspended from the Alliance Group Canterbury’s Ashley Meat plant in Kaiapoi yesterday, as the Meat Workers’ Union national load-out ban began to bite. The Meat Workers’ Union yesterday decided to extend the load-out ban for a further week from Sunday in a bid to pressure employers to sign their award. The national secretary

of the union, Mr Jack Scott, said the employer’s assessors in the talks had forced the union to extend the load-out ban. The Alliance Group processing manager, Mr Robert Cooke, said the union’s action was having little effect on the firm’s Kaiapoi or Sockburn plants except that killing was being restricted. But he said the extended load-out ban could mean further suspensions.

The Kaiapoi plant was due to shut down for annual maintenance from May 19 and that might have to be reconsidered because of the ban. Mr Scott said the union had accepted a $lO a week pay increase but had rejected changes in work hours and shifts. The employers are seeking the introduction of shifts in all departments, except the slaughterboard.