Affco workers continue to strike through Easter weekend

Affco meat workers are continuing to strike through Easter weekend after Talley's announced a further 480 workers would be locked out over the long weekend.

Union organisers said the lockout, which applied from 3am Friday to 3am tomorrow, would save the company thousands in statutory holiday pay.

National Meat Workers Union spokesman Dave Eastlake said 480 workers at eight of Affco's North Island plants were locked out on Good Friday and would be again on Easter Monday.

Their numbers will add to the 1000-plus workers locked out since the end of February.

An Easter church service would be held at the picket line in Moerewa.

"Easter is a family time for us and we normally spend it playing sport and touch," said locked out worker Lauri Nankivell.

"We never expected to spend Good Friday standing on a picket line."

On Thursday around 100 locked out workers from Wanganui's Imlay plant travelled to Feilding to join workers on the picket line there.