Meatworkers to be paid for donning and doffing kit

The Employment Court has given meatworkers in Feilding, Te Kuiti and Richmond a Christmas present, ruling they should be paid for donning and doffing equipment.

Judge Bruce Corkill, QC, said things may have been different if it were a case of only putting on some high-visibility clothing or walking a small distance.

But the process involved putting on or taking off – as well as sanitising, cleaning and correctly storing – multiple items, putting it in a different league.

Ovation New Zealand, which runs meatworks in Feilding and Richmond, and Te Kuiti Meat Processors ended up in a legal fight against the New Zealand Meat Workers Union over various pay issues.

The companies started legal proceedings after negotiations hit a snag over rest breaks for piece workers, who are paid a set rate for each item produced.

The union raised the issue of donning and doffing. There was no dispute workers had to don and doff protective clothing and equipment at the start and end of shifts, and for each break. The companies said it only took small amounts of time, meaning it did not constitute work, while the union said it cut into break times and was extensive.

The judge said it was compulsory for workers to wear the equipment, which had to be cleaned and sanitised.

‘‘The greater the constraints, the greater the responsibilities and the greater the benefit to the employer, the more likely it is that the activity in question ought to be regarded as work.’’

Donning and doffing was work, and people were not being paid for it, he said.