Pacific staff among those impacted by meatworks closure

"Terrible, terrible, terrible" is how a union member has described the closing of a Timaru meat processing plant, anticipated to impact many Pacific workers.

Over the weekend the Alliance Group announced it would close due to a drop in sheep numbers, leading to an estimated 600 Timaru meatworks employees losing their livelihood.

The 139-year-old Smithfield plant terminated venison processing on the day shift in December last year, having already stopped sheep meat, calves and night shift venison seasonal processing three months prior.

Staff and unions have gone through a two-week consultation on the closure.

Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, NZ Meat Workers Union’s Bill Watt explained how "terrible" this is on both micro and macro levels.

Watt pointed out that the meatworks contribute around three per cent to the town's GDP, as well as millions in wages.

He also estimated that 15 to 20 per cent of the affected workers are Pacific, with various non-governmental organisations helping the impacted RSE workers.

"It's a real shock - $40 to $50 million no longer coming into that community, the flow-on effect will be felt for a while," he said.

"This was a very productive plant in Timaru - it's terrible for the people involved, terrible for the families and it's terrible for the community."

Some workers reportedly were offered redeployment to the Alliance Group's six other factories in Dannevirke, Levin, Nelson, Oamaru, Mataura and Invercargill.

Watch the full interview on 531pi's FB below:

The cause of the closure had been placed on land use changes, with a rapid rate of farm conversion to carbon forests, but this claim is disputed by the New Zealand Forest Owners Association.

Watt said the problem is the use of prime farming land for forestry conversion alongside overseas investments in said land for forestries.

"The Beef + Lamb Association put out some years ago that a hectare of trees creates one job in the community, a hectare with stock on it creates seven.

"So there you can see the difference as to why we're getting what we're getting and sheep numbers have steadily come down for the last 20 years.

"To be fair, Smithfield was still producing a huge amount of sheep, lamb, venison and bobby calf so they were a highly productive little unit."

Watt said tough times are ahead for the town as the plant's 600 odd employees will need to find work.

He said although there are some jobs around Timaru, many of the workers would be moving out of town.

"People would've known that it was probably going to close but when it was confirmed on Friday, I think there's going to be sad people waking up this morning.

"The local mayor and MPs are putting together a think-tank, and there's a job expo in a couple of weeks.

"Australian companies are very interested in getting meat workers to go over there - I think there's three different companies here recruiting."