10 April 2012

CTU Contacts Talley’s Customers over Lockout

The Council of Trade Unions is writing to major New Zealand customers of Talley’s which owns 100% of AFFCO seeking their support for workers currently being locked out by the company.

Helen Kelly, CTU President, says “Talley’s AFFCO have locked out hundreds of workers for over 40 days now and this is causing extreme hardship for these workers and their families”.

“Internationally, unions will be taking up our concerns with international customers about this extreme approach and the complete indifference towards the welfare of these workers, but we also want to seek the support of New Zealand customers such as large retailers”.

“Our message to them”, she says, “is that they should call on Talley’s AFFCO to end the lockout which commenced after only 10 hours of negotiations”.

Over Easter, around 1,400 workers were locked out by Talley’s AFFCO in advance of mediation set down on Thursday 12th April.

“It is crucial that Talley’s AFFCO approach bargaining this week with an intention to settle the dispute and we are calling on them to end the lockout now as a sign of good faith”, she said.

The CTU is writing to major supermarket chains, meat retailers and fast food chains that buy Talley products.

ENDS

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