The strike is in response to the company's latest demand that the workweek be changed from five eight-hour days, with the weekend off, to four 10-hour days with two rotating days off. This would mean some workers would get a full weekend off only once every 42 working days. In addition, workers would lose their two 15-minute paid breaks, with all breaks on the new roster unpaid.

The workers also rejected the bosses' proposal to introduce a piece-rate system for each carcass killed. This would result in workers not being paid for the first half-hour of any mechanical breakdown.

One worker on the picket line was holding a placard with the words, "Company offer is a worker funded pay rise." He said the company has a complicated pay system in which bonuses are paid to departments deemed to be the most productive, with other departments losing out. The latest proposal is a continuation of this system of playing workers off against each other.

To counter this, workers are demanding a pay raise of 80 cents an hour on the base rate of NZ$10 an hour. Another worker, who has been at the plant 11 years, explained there had been no increase of the base rate for nine years.

The Meat Workers Union represents about 110 of the 170 workers at the plant. The rest are not in a union but have elected three representatives. All workers are meeting together to discuss the company's proposals and their response. Only one worker has crossed the picket line.

The management threatened to take the nonunion workers to court if they went on strike, then said it would lock out all workers once they struck. In the face of the workers' determination, it withdrew these threats.

Some of the meat scheduled to be processed at Progressive Meats has been sent to at least one other plant. Workers at that plant wanted to refuse to process this meat but were told it was illegal to do this. They are now processing it very reluctantly.

The company is under pressure because this is the height of the lamb processing season. One worker expressed what was a common sentiment: "We can hold out longer than he can."

Many of the workers have taken casual jobs, which are plentiful at the moment, picking apples or doing other agricultural work. An indication of the support for the strike is the daily food donations. Passing motorists and pedestrians enthusiastically indicated their support.

Workers on the picket line express support for the meat inspectors, who are also taking industrial action nationwide to demand a 12 percent pay increase. They work in all plants where meat is prepared for export to ensure hygiene regulations are met.

Janet Edwards and Colin Perkins contributed to this article.  
 
 
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