Media Release
NZ Meat Workers Union
23 September 2016

More bad faith from a Talley’s owned meat company

The Employment Relations Authority has found the Talley’s owned meat company NZ Land Meats (NZLM) breached good faith by trying to silence workers and their union.

This follows other legal decisions against Talley’s owned AFFCO and South Pacific Meats, says the NZ Meat Workers Union (MWU).

“The MWU has tried to negotiate with NZLM for more than two years, but the company has offered nothing but stalling tactics,” says Graham Cooke, National Secretary.

“Among other demands, NZLM wanted the MWU to agree to making no social media or media comment about Talley’s owned companies and their shareholders before it would even conclude the preliminary process.

“We said that was unreasonable, and the Authority has agreed.

“This isn’t the first time a Talley’s owned company has tried to gag the MWU. Workers have been published for things as simple as distributing a newsletter.”

AFFCO Talley’s have taken a separate action seeking to suppress all social media, media and web comment against AFFCO, its shareholders and parent company which they consider “derogatory”.

The Employment Authority decision says any such restriction would be unreasonable.

The Authority found that NZLM’s failure to engage in any meaningful way with the union over a bargaining process agreement was a deliberate, serious and sustained breach of good faith over a period of several months and fined the company $15,000.

“We are ready, willing and able to bargain as soon as possible at NZLM, as we have been in all Talley’s owned companies. We hope this decision means MWU members will at last see some progress,” Mr Cooke says.

ENDS

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