Lock out of New Zealand meat workers entering its 3rd month

Over 100 sheep processing workers have been locked out from the CMP Rangitikei plant since October 19 for refusing to accept up to 20% in pay cuts, shift changes and reductions in allowances.

Trying to move the company to be reasonable, the workers, members of the New Zealand Meat Workers Union, have offered to take a 10% pay cut, but the company rejected this offer and the brutal lockout continues as the Christmas holidays near.

With no income for the past 2 months, many families are suffering hardship. And the company is exploiting this hardship.

CMP ANZCO has defied the union and offered to take back workers if they renounce their membership and sign individual contracts. A few have yielded to this pressure, but some 100 workers have refused to be blackmailed and remain locked out.

The New Zealand Meat Workers Union has filed for facilitation services from the Employment Relations Authority.

Your help is urgently needed to pressure CMP ANZCO to enter into facilitation and to get these workers back to work!

Click here to send a message to CMP's parent company ANZCO Foods urging the company to enter into facilitation and demanding an end to the lockout and a return to the bargaining table!

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has mounted a campaign targeting McDonalds, a major New Zealand customer of CMP ANZCO, to pressure the company to take a stand. Numerous actions have already taken place at McDonalds throughout New Zealand (click here for more about this).

Download the poster for the pickets and actions planned for December 17, 2011.