Meat union to lift bans?

Press, 22 November 1989, Page 2

Meat union to lift bans?

By

DIANE KEENAN

The Council of Trade Unions' president, Mr Ken Douglas, expects Canterbury meat workers to lift their load-out bans at the Alliance Group’s Sockburn and Kaiapoi meat plants today. Mr Douglas, who intervened in the seven-week dispute at the request of the Meat Workers’ Union last week, asked meat workers to lift their industrial action at the 10 Alliance and Waitaki South Island plants on Monday evening. But the Canterbury branch yesterday defied the directive and Alliance’s Sockbum and Kaiapoi plants remained closed. Mr Douglas said that the stance adopted by the Canterbury workers was “not a major problem." “I put it down to a matter of communication which I expect to be resolved at a meeting of union members,” he said. The president of the Canterbury branch of the union, Mr Merv Taylor, said the branch was not prepared to lift the ban until members had been advised of the situation at a meeting this morning at Kaiapoi.

“The bans will remain on until a decision is reached at the meeting,” he said. Mr Taylor said the union completed a series of ballots last week to gauge members’ views on extending industrial’ action against the Alliance company. “For this reason, we feel it is only right we update members of the situation and explain why the union now recommends the bans be lifted,” he said. Mr Taylor said he had advised the union’s national secretary, Mr Jack Scott, of the Canterbury branch’s action.

“He (Mr Scott) did not disagree with our action in retaining the ban,” Mr Taylor said. Mr Douglas said he was handling negotiations with the Alliance company on behalf of meat workers and a meeting had been arranged for December 11 between the company and representatives of all unions involved in the meat industry. Mr Douglas said the meeting would include discussions on the implications of Alliance taking over Waitaki, redundancy and the future of the industry. He said the company had responded positively to his suggestion for negotiations which had resulted in his call for a lifting of the load-out bans.

The Meat Workers’ Union imposed the bans in September in its claim for greater involvement in meat industry restructuring proposals.