I visited Moerewa on Tuesday to support the Talleys AFFCO workers. I went to a big meeting of locked out Talleys workers, their families and the community, and then spent some time on the picket outside the Works.
This is where the rubber hits the road, not in John Key’s announcement today of a Super Ministry which is “business facing” and will gulp up the Department of Labour and presumably with it, the Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson.
Talley’s locked out these workers two weeks ago. There are generations of workers involved here : fathers, sons, mothers, daughters. Some I talked to have worked at the Works for more than 40 years. Most are long serving workers. Skilled workers at that. You try wielding a boning knife.
The community is backing the workers. A nice moment was when one of the local nurses came out with her Nurses Organisation banner to stand with the Talleys workers. She, of all people will know the impact this is having on the local community – not just on those who are locked out, but those affected by the downstream economic effect on a small community like Moerewa.
The workers told me they love their jobs and just want to work. One young woman has just bought a house, another is due to have a child in the next couple of months. The lockout is hurting.
The Tally family have a reputation for being anti-union. The meat workers are the only unionised workforce they have to deal with among the 8000 or so employees in their food production businesses. Now it seems they’re hell bent on expunging the union from their meat works as well.
If what the workers told me is true, Talley’s breaks the law with impunity. Sure, there’s a mountain of Employment Authority and Employment Court decisions, but the law is meaningless if someone has enough dough to pay the fine, then do it again, or alternatively, tie the union up in endless litigation.
One story doing the rounds is that an AFFCO manager boasted that “no one ever went to jail breaking employment laws.”
That’s true. Sounds like an invitation to have a closer look at the penalties for serial offenders.
Moerewa is a brave community. No-one was feeling sorry for themselves. Their concern was for each other, their whanau, their jobs and their community.
The Talley family might find these bonds harder to break than they think.
And John Key’s Super Ministry?
Irrelevant and meaningless for 1000 locked out workers in one of our key export industries.
You’re a good lady Darien!
!!!!!
Agreed Spud.
Companies like Talleys and Fletchers have been in each others pockets for years, people don’t count.
The more you continue to wipe the chins of the unassertive, the longer they will need you to do it.
But thats your goal, isn’t t?
@peter – the workers are neither unassertive nor in need of chin-wiping. Darien is being supportive, you are being patronising.
Are you sure that after the balls up at POAL. They were happy to see you?
For Godsvsake keep away from the Oceania workers, they deserve to succeed.
@Grumpy : living up to your name. I will be at the Oceania action in the morning. Will you?
Darien – You are awesome for supporting the willing workers of Moerewa! I believe it is because we have a NATIONAL government that all this is able to happen. How i wish for a Labour government.
AFFCO worked well with their workers for 60+ years and treated them with respect, that was untill Talleys took over the company. As an Ex worker at the Horotiu plant i can honestly say that Talleys are dirty players and will do ANYTHING just to bank a few extra million. AFFCO Horotiu is the main means of income for the majority of the town i live in and has been my families for over 60yrs. It’s so guttering to see half of my town outside of their gates protesting everyday knowing that they have the oppotunity to sign a contract, get back to work and feed their families. BUT they wont, because they aren’t only fighting for their rights – they are also fighting for the rights of their children, grandchildren and the rest of the future generation. Soooo…..a HUGE thumbs up to you
@Anne
Hey Moerewa-ites(AFFCO), Man so sad to see how things have panned out since i left Moerewa in 1990. It was a thriving busy business area but there was talk about closing parts of AFFCO due to automation etc. Now 22 years later.whaa!!
I work in the same industry in Melbourne Australia and its the same situation here. The company seems hell bent on sacrificing quality of the product to quantity. THe demands on the workers is hard. The Company motto is if you can’t handle it go, we’ve got hundreds of others who will gladly take your place.
Now if your situation is an indication of our future i guess the best thing to do is unify the people along the whole industry. truckies, farmers, local hospitals, warfies etc.
There’s a union statement thats plastered all over the place here in Melbourne “Workers united will never be defeated”
Hey and its funny, the company don’t stir in the middle of the season.
All the best.