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National | Employment

AFFCO workers to take strike action again next week

One thousand members of the New Zealand Meat Workers Union at 8 different AFFCO plants in the North Island have voted to go on strike again next week.

This decision has arisen following the company's exit from mediation last week and applied to end bargaining under the government's new employment laws - the first application of its kind since the law came into effect.

Union National Secretary Graham Cooke says, “AFFCO workers who predicted Talley’s would be first to take advantage of the new laws have proven to be right.

Talley’s is an outlier in the meat industry in the way it deals with employment relations and health and safety.  The public haven’t forgotten their cruel lockout in 2012, which lasted 84 days and caused real hardship to families in poor communities.

During this bargaining round, they added new demands to reduce job security, threatened the union and others with legal action, and  bullied their staff at work.

They’ve shown no interest in a fair deal, despite the Union’s efforts to negotiate on the things they say are important to them."

The strike will take place on August 10-11.