Car horns were tooting in support of Heinz-Wattie's casual workers who initiated a 24-hour strike last night and stood outside the Hastings factory protesting this morning.
The casual workers hired on the food processing lines decided on further strike action after collective bargaining talks between Allied Workforce and The Service and
Food Workers' Union broke down yesterday.
On Wednesday, union members held an unpaid stop-work meeting and voted in favour of the strike if an agreement could not be reached.
The workers want a collective contract in place before the season ends in two weeks, to ensure workers' conditions and pay rates before the new season begins at the end of this year.
Union organiser Thomas O'Neil said there was confusion this morning as some workers were told they had lost their jobs because of the strike action.
"We went down to talk to a senior manager (of Allied Workforce) and have been assured that hasn't taken place. If people have been sacked we have a strong case to say we're on a legal strike," he said.
Mr O'Neil said about 20 protesters were outside the factory this morning; most workers that came into work today were told there was a strike on and had opted to go home or join the picket line.
"What we are going to do is wait for Heinz-Wattie's (Hawke's Bay operations) manager Neville Cameron to come in and see the workers outside the factory," he said.
Hawke's Bay Today understands Allied Workforce had stationed a security guard between its two Hastings offices yesterday after threats were made to some of its employees this week.
The threats allegedly came from workers upset about pay disputes since the labour contract firm took over hiring casual workers at Heinz-Wattie's last year.
Mr O'Neil said he was not aware of the threats.
"I've been down there in the morning and all I saw were people that had pay disputes. There was no abuse, I haven't seen anything of that and find it hard to believe," he said.
Mr O'Neil said the union was told Allied Workforce had called off all negotiations today because workers hadn't accepted its latest offer and decided to take industrial action.
