Workers' faith fractured at freezing works

This dispute between Affco and employees is about the need to negotiate in 'good faith' under the provisions of the Employment Relations Act 2000. THE New Zealand meat industry has had the benefit of high commodity prices, free of industrial unrest for 21 years, huge "clawbacks" from employees with the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act in 1991, rising cattle numbers, a reduction in lamb numbers (lambs are now much heavier) and wages falling well below the consumer price index in 21 years.

Statistics NZ has identified that the volume of meat exported per person employed has risen from 23 tonnes in 1980 to 37.8 tonnes today; a productivity gain of 64 per cent. Meat workers are doing their share for NZ Incorporated.

In October 2001, Talley's started buying shares in Affco, in June 2006 Talley's acquired 51 per cent and, by October 2010, Talley's had acquired Affco outright.

Simultaneously, in the South Island, Talley's Affco set up a new meat company called South Pacific Meats [SPM], building plants at Awarua and Malvern (still under construction). In August 2006, Affco Rangiuru dismissed two plant union officials, who had asked on several occasions for a meeting with their delegates - which Affco declined, contrary to the agreement. One was reinstated, the other progressed through the employment authority, finally being reinstated with lost wages awarded, $2500 compensation and costs.

Workers at Rangiuru, Moerewa, Wairoa, Horotiu, Imlay, Manawatu noticed at the commencement of the new season (October 2010) what had been agreed by negotiation and was long-standing custom and practice amounted to nothing with this new owner.

Rangiuru workers objected strongly to the new owner of two years (Talley's) saying here is the new Rangiuru plant agreement, Affco is not going to recognise the current agreement any more.

Further, Affco started offering incentives to join the individual employment agreements (IEA), longer seasons and one-on-one meetings with the plant manager who encouraged workers to join.

The workers at Rangiuru had two choices:

1. Follow disputes procedure.

2. Take strike action.

Strike action was illegal during the currency of the collective employment agreement. The union advised Rangiuru employees to proceed to mediation, if that failed then the Employment Authority or Employment Court.

This was Rangiuru workers' only legal remedy. Affco continued to unilaterally break agreed terms and conditions of employment. The union spent considerable amounts of money on legal fees.

The collective employment agreement expired on December 31, 2011. Affco locked out 700 of its 2100 employees on February 29, after only 10 hours of negotiations, indefinitely.

The employees who did not choose to accept the IEAs, as they are essentially "worthless bits of paper", chose to take a one-day solidarity strike action in support of those employees at Moerewa, Imlay, Horotiu, Wiri, Napier, Wairoa and Manawatu that had been locked out. Affco then locked out a further 250 employees at Rangiuru.

Since the first strike of 24 hours, Affco employees have taken four separate one-day strikes, one separate two-day strike and, lately, two five-day strikes.

This dispute between Affco and employees is about the need to negotiate in "good faith" under the provisions of the Employment Relations Act 2000. This is how a modern society should function, not by "corporate bullying".

Affco has quite deliberately embarked on a planned strategy on February 29 of continuing to encourage and coerce employees towards an IEA with minimalist negotiation/mediation on the CEA.

South Pacific Meats Awarua CEA expired September 2011, Talley's will not put up negotiators to meet with the meat union.

Finally, only employees of Affco who are locked out are receiving Winz assistance.

Striking workers are not entitled.

This lockout was not in any way orchestrated by these employees nor the union that represents them.

Graham Cooke is Aotearoa branch secretary of the NZ Meat Workers Union