AFFCO’s union dispute finally settled

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Allan Barber credits iwi for the final settlement of AFFCO’s union dispute.

 It’s been a long 10 weeks, he wrote in an article which appeared on interest.co.nz on 24 May and also in NZ Farmers Weekly, both for the company and especially the workforce. At last both sides have exercised some flexibility and reached agreement on a new Core Collective Agreement.

It has taken some urging by Iwi leaders to get there in what is the first time Iwi have taken such a leading role in dispute settlement. Tukoroirangi Morgan, representing Tainui, was clearly elated at the successful outcome, saying “History has been made here and role of Iwi in the modern industrial society has been forever changed.” He paid credit to all the main players in what he said was as tough a negotiating process as the Treaty negotiations, Allan writes.

Read more here …

 

Differences are more apparent than real

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Differences more apparent than real

Reported differences of opinion in meat industry leaders are more apparent than real, writes industry commentator, Allan Barber, in his latest blog. In spite of recent disagreements, most notably between Keith Cooper of Silver Fern Farms and Beef and Lamb NZ, there doesn’t appear to be too much wrong with relationships between meat companies and the industry good organisation representing sheep and beef farmers, he says. Read more …

AFFCO and Meat Workers Union both holding firm

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AFFCO and Meat Workers Union both holding firm

Getting on for two months into the lock out interspersed with strikes, both sides in this struggle are holding firm, says meat industry commentator Allan Barber. There was a brief moment of hope of some degree of resolution at last week’s mediation, but it appears that after some progress in the morning, it all went downhill in the afternoon with some suggestion the union representatives weren’t all in agreement about what they were after. Read more…