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Affco must negotiate in good faith with workers
Council of Trade Unions media release
25 August
2010
Affco must negotiate in good faith with Wairoa workers
The CTU is calling on Affco management to end its intimidatory stand-off with meat workers in Wairoa and to resume bargaining with the Meatworkers Union in good faith. Affco have threatened workers on the lamb chain with loss of seniority if they do not attend a meeting on Thursday morning at which they will be pressured to accept the company's offer.
"We have been here too many times before with Affco and their major shareholder Talley's," said CTU Secretary Peter Conway. "This is not negotiation. They are presenting an ultimatum and will divert the work to one of their other plants if agreement is not reached. Then it will be the turn of those plants to be pressurised into inferior deals."
"The company is not bargaining in good faith as it is required to do. The Meatworkers Union is already having to resort to the courts to finalise its beef agreement. Affco has a long history of using lockouts and threats to starve workers to accept their terms. It is unacceptable that any company should be allowed to continue such tactics in this day and age."
The Meatworkers Union is prepared to negotiate increases in productivity but not at the expense of other cuts in terms and conditions which the company is requesting.
ENDS
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Te Kauae Kaimahi
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi brings together over 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions. We are the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.
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