Meat workers in talks to avert strike

Alliance Group and unions are trying to avert a strike on Monday that will shut down production at the company's eight New Zealand meat processing plants.

"We're in discussions. We're close (to agreement), it's just a case of another day or two," Alliance Group chief executive Grant Cuff told The Southland Times yesterday.

The company and the New Zealand Meat Workers Union this week failed to resolve negotiations for a new collective agreement covering its plants.

Alliance has plants from Dannevirke in the North Island to South Island plants in Nelson, Canterbury and Otago and Mataura and Lorneville in Southland.

The union has a membership of about 4000 Alliance meat workers. The meat workers' three-year collective agreement expired in September last year

Alliance had been served notice of a 24-hour strike on Monday but had one more day up its sleeve to try to get the matter resolved, Mr Cuff said.

Yesterday union general secretary Dave Eastlake told the Times Mr Cuff's summary was a "fairly fair assessment" of the situation between the two parties.

- NZPA