Union wins for meat workers

The Meat Workers Union has won a quick victory at Levin Meats after picking up the cause of 18 non-union workers who took wildcat strike action two weeks ago and were suspended after being made to work for as little as five dollars an hour.

Levin Meats had been paying a throughput rate for teams but trouble started when the company manager increased the number of staff and the difficulty of cuts on the lamb chain without increasing the throughput rate - effectively reducing the amount that could be done and increasing the number of workers while not increasing the amount paid.

MWU official Eric Mischefske says the employment contracts were clearly illegal. "We got this cleared up very quickly in mediation because the company was plainly breaking the law and we got all the workers except for one back at work."

"Unfortunately management is still putting pressure on the workers that went out," says Mischefske, "and we'll be taking that up in due course along with the continued suspension of the worker who led the wildcat strike action."

While the site was previously non-unionised Mischefske says the employer's behaviour has helped recruit members.

"It wasn't until the union got involved that these guys got what they needed and now we've started to get members there. We won't be charging any fees for a while though as these guys have had a hard time financially and even with this resolved they are still not on big money."