Strikers lose pay at Easter: Affco

Affco has told working Meatworkers Union members they will lose their two Easter statutory holidays if they take part in any industrial action, including overtime and training bans.

In a letter, Affco CEO Hamish Simson said union members should inform their supervisor they would not take part in industrial action if they wanted to avoid an automatic lockout notice for Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

About 1000 workers are locked out of six Affco plants in the North Island, including 110 workers at Affco Wairoa, after collective contract talks broke down.

"While the company has managed around the strike action to date, and will manage around further strike action in the coming weeks, it will not be comfortable with paying statutory holidays to those union members who persist in strike action in the weeks leading up to and either side of the Easter break," the letter said.

Workers not participating in the strike action would be paid for the holidays in the normal manner.

AFFCO Wairoa Meat Workers Union president Dale Robinson said the letter was designed to demoralise workers.

"We know we've got the support of the community to keep us strong," he said.

Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana said Maori farmers would be asked to not send their stock to Affco and offshore buyers asked to boycott Affco products.

Syd Keepa, CTU Vice President Maori yesterday welcomed the iwi's support and their stock-witholding strategy.

"We also want to acknowledge the work the iwi is doing to support the locked out workers and their whanau. The support centre opened by Ngati Kahungunu in Wairoa on Monday provides much appreciated food and other services from the community to the locked out workers and their families.

"We're behind these workers one hundred per cent, and there is widespread support for AFFCO workers in the union movement generally.

"We are calling on AFFCO to end the lockout and return to bargaining."