Locked out Wairoa workers back to work on Monday

AFFCO Talley’s Wairoa workers will be returning to work on Monday 22nd February, after five months of unlawful lockout, says the NZ Meat Workers Union.

The Employment Court had given AFFCO Talleys until the 23rd February to comply with its recent decision that the company must observe seniority and re-engage the workers on the shifts they would have been employed on had it not been for the unlawful lockout.

“The Meat Workers Union is really pleased that these workers will finally be able to go back to their jobs and get on with rebuilding their lives” says Darien Fenton, Organising Director.

“The lockout has taken its toll on the workers, their whanau and the small community of Wairoa, and it’s going to take some time for them to recover financially and emotionally.

“Wairoa workers will be celebrating and also saying thank you to the thousands of people and unions who have supported them with food and financial donations to make their struggle a little less hard.

“This is a wonderful victory for a group of determined workers, who stood up to one of New Zealand’s richest companies and won,” said Fenton.

ENDS

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