BY TERRICA STRUDWICK

ROCKHAMPTON — Meatworkers at the Packer-family-owned Consolidated Meat Group's Lakes Creek abbatoir returned to work on June 20 after spending two weeks on strike and another week locked out by management.

In pursuit of increased profits and a non-unionised work force, CMG management is doing all it can to break the will of the workers. A majority are members of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU).

Before January 12, when workers were told they no longer had jobs, the plant's consultative committee had attempted to negotiate an enterprise bargaining agreement with CMG management over a two year period. All attempts failed. Obviously, the management had other plans in mind.

CMG trained youths in the various positions needed to increase the daily output of the plant during the dispute. These young people are obligated to take these positions if they are offered them because of Centrelink's rigid rules, and, in most cases, training will be completed within four weeks. However, they will be on a training wage for 12 months.

n particular, boners will be taught only one cut instead of all cuts, in order to make up for lost production time. This de-skilling of labour will prevent them from moving to other positions.

CMG is using the system to rope in young people who are unaware of how the meat industry works and at the same time make them work for an appalling wage and in poor conditions.

During the strike, CMG arranged a bus for people that wanted to cross the picket line. Among those on the bus were three 16-year-olds, hiding on the bus' floor covered in blankets. The AMIEU found out where the bus was leaving from and attempted to get people off. Four people refused to go through the picket and got off. In total, there were only 15 people on the bus each day that got through the picket line, despite CMG claims of full busloads going through.

CMG management agreed to hold negotiations with the AMIEU on June 22. The only concession CMG made was to allow for a 25% penalty rate on Saturdays. Penalty rates only apply to slicers and A, B and C grade butchers, all other employees having to work on normal rates of pay. All public holidays must be worked without penalty rates.

From Green Left Weekly, July 3, 2002.
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