Editorial: Dancing partners in step

The progress in talks between Affco and the Meat Workers Union is great news.

It seems the intervention of third parties such as Ngapuhi runanga leader Sonny Tau and other iwi leaders Ken Mair and Tukoroirangi Morgan has provided a perspective that has led to progress.

It has been said negotiations are a dance, a subtle "to and fro" with the negotiators as conductors and union members, on one side, a choir in unison.

It does not take much for the dance to turn ugly, for strong personalities to take the lead and dominate with, perhaps not their view, but style and stance.

It also does not take much for the parties to end up in disagreement, declining to budge.

About 110 members of the Meat Workers Union have been locked out of Moerewa's freezing works for more than 80 days.

Production has dropped and families have struggled as the workers fight for their beliefs.

Seven other plants around the North Island are affected, and site-specific documents are being worked on after there was reasonably quick agreement on the core of the collective.

In working on these documents, the sides have committed to a return to work soon and the withdrawal or suspension of all legal action.

The Council of Trade Unions say the MWU and Talley Group, which owns Affco, had been greatly assisted by the Iwi Leaders Forum.

Let's hope the introduction of new partners to the union dance means the negotiation will soon be over, something that will be music to Moerewa's ears.