Qld: Meatworks dispute in court again
By Vera Devai
BRISBANE, April 17 AAP - Consolidated Meatworks Group (CMG) today disputed a unionvote to reject the company's latest offer to enable the reopening of its Rockhampton plant.
CMG and the Australian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) were back in the IndustrialRelations Commission in Brisbane after workers at the Lakes Creek plant rejected the offerlast weekend.
The offer included 10-hour working days and the acceptance of Saturday as a normal day.
AMIEU assisting state secretary Brian Crawford told the hearing union members and pastemployees of the plant voted against the proposed conditions last Saturday.
He said out of the 700 people who attended the meeting, the majority voted againstthe proposal by a show of hands.
But CMG questioned the validity of the vote, saying a roll had not been taken of whowas at the meeting and there was no indication of how many people had attended.
"They could have been the delinquents of Rockhampton for all I know. I don't know whothey were," CMG manager John Hughes told the hearing.
Mr Hughes said the meatworks, which need $25 million to get up and running, could openas early as next week if workers accepted the terms and conditions.
CMG also argued the people at the meeting were not fully aware of what they were votingfor as union officials had failed to brief them properly.
Earlier this week, CMG ignored a vote by workers to reject a pay offer and is now advertisingdirectly to the community for a new workforce.
The Lakes Creek Meatworks, owned by CMG, had failed to reopen after its Christmas shutdownleaving 1,350 people unemployed.
The hearing continues.
AAP ved/sc/mg/de
KEYWORD: MEATWORKS
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