Sanford is one of New Zealand's larger fishing companies, with factories throughout the country. Last year it reported a profit of NZ$54.5 million (NZ$1 = US 40 cents).

The workers, members of the Service and Food Workers Union, first struck for six hours on June 11, and on June 18 they staged a go-slow workday in disgust at what they said was a pitiful offer from the company.

On June 25 the unionists took further strike action at both plants, with a march in Bluff attracting support from workers at Ngai Tahu Fisheries. When the Bluff workers went to return to the job the next day, the bosses would not let them work unless they gave an assurance they would not take further industrial action. Faced with the lockout in Bluff, the Timaru workers have stayed out in support of their demands.

At the Timaru picket, Marty Locke explained that he works as a general hand and after 12 years he earns only NZ$10.47 an hour. If they didn't strike, wages and conditions would only worsen, he said.

Karl, a young worker on the picket line, said he and others might not be at the plant in five years, but we are "the revolution for people who come after we've gone. They've been treating us bad for a long time."

Jane King, a union delegate, explained that after eight years she is an "A-grade" packer--the top grade--but her hourly rate is only NZ$10.56, approximately 20 percent behind other fish factories. "It is only fair that all the wet fish plants in the South Island be paid at the same rate," she said.

King explained that Sanford has three wet fish plants in the South Island--in Nelson, Bluff, and Timaru. "Nelson settled their contract before Christmas, but eventually we want to be all on the same contract. Auckland and Tauranga in the North Island have one contract, so there is no reason we can't have one here."

Another picket, Tamara, had only been working at the Timaru plant for a month when she joined the strike. She is on the starting wage of NZ$9.18. "I might not have a job when this is all over," she explained, "but I had to stand with them."

The strikers maintain the picket line 24 hours, seven days a week, despite the bitterly cold winter temperatures. A solidarity caravan has provided warm soup and shelter. While this reporter was at the picket, two city council representatives visited, declaring that they were there to check that the caravan was not polluting the road.

The strike has received support from meat workers, dockworkers, unionists at Dominion Breweries, and workers at two local food processing plants, McCains and Bluebird.

The Service and Food Workers Union has set up a NZ$20,000 strike fund to meet workers' pressing needs. At one point some of those who had been out on strike went back into work, but as news of financial assistance, including entitlements to unemployment benefits, came through they rejoined the picket lines.

A June 30 march through the main street of Timaru attracted support from other workers. Locke said he was in the Trade Union Centre when an older worker came in with two loaves of bread, saying, "I'm sorry it's not much, but I know what it's like, I used to work there."

The Bluff plant is at the height of salmon processing. Bosses are trying to run it with clerical and cleaning staff processing the fish. On July 2, a picket of 55 turned away a truck driven by Sanford Bluff manager Tommy Foggo that was trying to deliver a load of salmon.

The Timaru plant is running at what workers estimate to be 40 percent to 50 percent capacity. The company has a large order for orange roughy to fill, and it was quite busy when the strike began. Some of those crossing the picket line are union members, and a few replacement workers have been hired during the strike.

Sanford has so far refused to negotiate on the issue of a multisite contract. Timaru managers have offered a 6 percent pay raise over two years, which workers have rejected. The unionists point out that workers at the Sealords factory in Nelson recently won a pay increase of more than 6 percent for packers and 4 percent for fish filleters over one year.

Annalucia Vermunt is a member of the Meat Workers Union in Christchurch.  
 
 
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