Little sympathy for workers caught using drugs

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union has little sympathy for nine workers at the Affco meat plant at Horotiu, in Waikato, who resigned after being challenged about taking drugs on the night shift.

The workers claimed last week they were filmed in the changing rooms and taking showers.

"There are issues there," EPMU spokesman Andrew Little told NZPA today. He said such surveillance was certainly not ideal.

"(However) if there was a known problem in that workplace, then it's not unusual and we certainly wouldn't object to an employer who puts in place the means to detect covert or concealed use of drugs at work.

"This is a situation where the employer knew there was a problem, and had the means to detect it. It comes down to the absolute no-no of using or being in possession of drugs at work.

"We're not hugely sympathetic. It's simply not acceptable to have those people at work."

Lawyer John Edwards who specialises in privacy issues told National Radio today an employer was not necessarily breaching workers' privacy by taking images of them.

However, many people would consider images being taken of them while they were getting changed to be significantly distressing.

That could lead to a case being taken to the Employment Court, Privacy Commissioner or the Human Rights Tribunal.

Affco has confirmed the filming took place and that nine people have resigned, but won't comment further until investigations have taken place.

The workers were confronted after management installed cameras around the plant.

Earlier, Human Resources manager Graeme Cox confirmed the resignations but said rumours that up to 50 people had been sacked were wrong.

The resignations, which happened voluntarily, were the "extent of it so far", Mr Cox said.

Mr Cox would not say how long cameras had been used at the site.

"Certainly the reason that we are undertaking this investigation is that we've had information that drug taking has been fairly prevalent, and we take our responsibilities under health and safety requirements very seriously."

- nzpa