Striking meat plant workers change their tune

Three years ago workers at a new Mangere beef jerky plant sang a special song of praise to visiting Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton

Many of them had jobs at last - after months and sometimes years out of work.

Mr Anderton had encouraged one of America's biggest meat snack makers - Jack Links - to set up a joint venture plant and Government departments pitched in to aid its construction, staff recruitment and training.

Yesterday, some of those workers were on strike - angry at not having a pay rise in three years.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the workers were seeking a modest 5 per cent pay rise but the company was not offering any rise.

"These people are on around $12.50 an hour and haven't had a pay rise in three years," said Mr Little.

"It's no wonder they are angry."

The union said 120 workers started the strike at 6am and it would run for 24 hours.

By lunchtime yesterday company chief executive John Corner said 87 process workers had been on strike but were back at work.

"No offers have been made but talks are continuing with the union executive to find a way forward," he said.

Mr Corner said 200 people worked at the plant and 150 were process workers.

The base rate was $12.50 an hour and line leaders, responsible for a dozen workers, were paid $13.50.

"We are not in a position to pay an increase.

"Five per cent is out of the question with the high New Zealand dollar, record high prices for meat here and a 50 per cent increase in power and electricity costs."

"For two years, this company has found it extremely difficult.

"We have been open with the union - they can come and inspect our books."

Mr Corner said the plant was working to capacity selling 50 tonnes a week to the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Australia.

The company's prices had risen but any benefit had been eroded by the exchange rate and the cost of raw materials.

Mr Anderton met Wisconsin-based Jack Links executives in the Beehive in 2000 and assured them of the Government's support.

The company had received no Government money, Mr Anderton said yesterday.

NZ Trade and Enterprise underwrote Winz in recruiting staff and Skill NZ and Ministry of Education help with training them to food export standard.

"The half a million dollars Winz paid in training would have been repaid quickly by 200 workers coming off the unemployment benefit," Mr Anderton said. He added that it "appears odd" that staff had stayed on the same rate for three years.

The plant brought an improvement to people's incomes "but that was the beginning and was not intended to be the end".

Mr Anderton said the company was subject to the same framework of New Zealand industrial relations as any one else.

The co-composer of the song for Mr Anderton, Alex Carroll, yesterday declined to talk about his experience at the company. "I'm one of the management," he said.