Locked out workers plan McDonald's picket

Locked out meatworkers plan to take their dispute to the doors of McDonald's tomorrow. Photo / Steven McNicholl

The dispute between unionised workers and the ANZCO CMP Rangitikei meat-processing plant continues, with locked-out staff to show up at McDonald's fast-food sites around the country tomorrow.

It is part of a national fundraising campaign to support the workers who have been locked out of the plant since October 19.

ANZCO supplies meat patties to McDonald's - locked-out workers had already targeted one restaurant, in Palmerston North last month.

About 100 members of the NZ Meat Workers Union have been locked out of the plant for six weeks and from 1pm tomorrow will take their message to McDonald's outlets including those in Victoria Ave, Wanganui, and in Bulls.

The union and the company have been negotiating to renew the collective agreement at the plant since April.

No agreement has been reached, with ANZCO wanting the workers to take significant cuts in pay and allowances of up to 20 per cent.

Another 200 workers at the plant signed individual contracts and the plant is continuing to process lambs.

The cuts the company is seeking include reducing pay rates from $31.10 to $25 an hour for A grade positions and from $26.88 to $21 per hour for B grade positions at the top end, dependent on maintaining kill rates and more if those are not maintained.

The workers were prepared to take 10 per cent pay cuts but ANZCO did not accept that.