Meatworkers urge ANZCO/CMP to enter facilitation

CTU Media Release

6 December 2011

Meatworkers urge ANZCO/CMP to enter facilitation

The New Zealand meat workers Union filed for facilitation services from the Employment Relations Authority on Friday, and urges ANZCO/CMP to come to the table and work with facilitators to resolve this dispute.

Dave Eastlake, National Secretary of the New Zealand Meat Workers Union said “this is an ongoing, and increasingly bitter dispute. 111 workers have been locked out for over 6 weeks by ANZCO in an attempt to starve them into taking massive pay cuts and reductions in conditions. This is unacceptable and we urge ANZCO to enter into facilitation to find a solution to get these workers back to work.”

Facilitation is provided by the Employment Relations Authority to assist parties to resolve their differences. Facilitation can be sought by either or both parties to a dispute where there has been a serious and sustained breach of good faith that has undermined the collective bargaining, where the bargaining has been unduly protracted and extensive efforts to resolve the parties' differences have failed and/or there has been a protracted or acrimonious strike or lockout action.

Waitrose, an up-market British supermarket and the sixth largest chain in the country, and one of ANZCO’s major customers has urged ANZCO to return to negotiations.

ENDS

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