Meat Inspectors Stop Work Over Industrial Apartheid
“NUPE meat inspectors (MI) stopped work this afternoon angry at being paid less than other MI while doing exactly the
same job,” said John Kerr, Acting Secretary of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) who represent a group of
Meat Inspectors. Meat Inspectors are employed by ASURE, a State Owned Enterprise set up in 1998 from the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) to run the service demanded by overseas countries we export meat to.
“NUPE’s previous Collective Agreement expired in July 2002 and extensive negotiations and mediation have failed to
settle the new Agreement," said John Kerr. “Members voted at the meeting to run a campaign to persuade our employer to
stop its policy of industrial apartheid and introduce equal pay for work of equal value.”
“NUPE members have been offered 24c an hour less than other workers who have already settled their Collective
Agreement” said John Kerr. ”Our members believe they are being offered less because they are not in the employer
preferred union.”
“ASURE states that NUPE members are paid less because their Union NUPE has declined to be contracted to develop and
promote activities beyond core inspection tasks. Such activities (eg promotion of computer software) raise extra revenue
for ASURE. However, NUPE feels that such agreement would potentially put Meat Inspectors’ integrity at risk. NUPE
members believe the integrity of meat inspection in New Zealand needs to be transparent at all levels given the
importance of the meat export trade to our economy,” said John Kerr.