Union critical of company’s plan to hire overseas workers

ALLIANCE Group is under fire over a decision to bring in 100 overseas workers for its Southland plants.

New Zealand Meatworkers Union said there were plenty of local workers vying for jobs that could now be going to overseas workers.

However, the company is standing firm. It said it was recruiting abroad to cover a worker shortage.

Each year, more than 2000 people work in the two meat processing plants operated by Alliance Group in Lorneville and Mataura.

Fewer than 1% of its Southland employees have been from overseas.

OtagoSouthland union secre tary Gary Davis said the decision would hit some Southland families hard.

The seasonal work often meant workers would finish at one plant and go to the other for additional work, Mr Davis said.

‘‘If these people are brought in from overseas they’ll get a job there so they’ll fill in those positions.’’

About 30 people could miss out on the additional work, he said.

The union plans to make a submission to Immigration New Zealand against the company’s application to employ overseas staff.

Good local workers were applying to work at the plants, but they were being rejected, Mr Davis said. He hoped meetings between Alliance Group and the union would bear fruit.