Press release: Meat Workers Union

Friday 30 March at 8:30am.

Day 31: Union expecting response from Talleys AFFCO

Talley's AFFCO told the Meat Worker's Union it would respond today to the union's request for further mediation.

Meat Workers Union general secretary Dave Eastlake says the union put a new bargaining position to the company last week and requested mediation on Monday.

(The union did not request mediation for next Monday, the union contacted the company last Monday 26 March for a mediation date as soon as possible this week.)

“Despite 31 gruelling days for locked out workers and their families, we've still only had 10 hours of face-to-face negotiations with Talley's AFFCO,” he says. “We want to sit down with the company so they can look our locked out workers in the faces and hear how their brutal lockout is affecting their kids.”

“Talley's AFFCO have consistenly refused to move from it's original position while the union has moved significantly to meet their flexibility demands while retaining industry-wide protections for worker's job security, which is essential in a precarious and seasonal industry.”

Mr Eastlake says workers stopped taking solidariy strikes after Monday to encourage the company to agree to mediation.

Pickets will be held today at Moerewa from 5am-8am, Horotiu between 7am-10am and 2pm-5pm, Whanganui from 1:30pm-3:30pm and Feilding from 1pm to 5pm.

ENDS

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