11 April 2012

Talley's wasting public money on 'publicity stunt' complaint

The Meat Workers Union says Talley's is wasting public money on a 'publicity stunt complaint' that has already be found to be without substance to detract attention from their brutal lock out of AFFCO workers and families.

Talley's AFFCO said in a press release today that it was making a complaint to the Serious Fraud Office about the union's finances.

Meat Workers Union national secretary Dave Eastlake says the same complaint was made by another individual to the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and Mr Eastlake was advised no action would be taken.

“It is disinegeious for Talley's AFFCO to try and suggest there is money missing from the union's national account when they know we audit our four branches seperately from our national account, which is a common legal practice,” he says. “We are concerned, but not surprised that Talley's AFFCO chose to start their latest smear campaign the day before we go to mediation.”

“Talley's are pulling at straws in an attempt to distract the public from their AFFCO lock out and have shown they're willing to pull on the public purse strings to do it. We'll be holding the company to account for their appalling treatment of locked out AFFCO workers and their kids at mediation tomorrow,” he says.

Mr Eastlake says the Meat Workers Union is an independent society funded entirely by weekly donations from it members, which increases from 7,000 to 22,000 members during the peak season. The union has four independent branches which set their own union fees, which they receive directly from member's employers. Each branch pays a “capitation fee” to fund the national union which is set at $51 per member, for the annualised membership of each branch, he says.

Earlier today the union signed an agreement with the countries second largest meat works, which includes a 3% pay rise and protects existing industry standards.

Talley's AFFCO will join union-requested mediation at the Telstra Clear center in Manukau, 9am tomorrow morning.

ENDS

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