Backing for meatworker’s stun-gun sacking

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has upheld Silver Fern Farms’ decision to sack a meatworker over use of a stun gun.

But the authority also told the company its humane slaughter training failed to specify that one attempt should be enough to stun any animal before slaughter.

The company dismissed slaughterman Robert Murray Rosson for animal cruelty after he adopted ‘‘exaggerated arm motions’’ during some of his four attempts to stun a lamb. He filed a personal grievance seeking permanent reinstatement, compensation, lost wages and costs.

The experienced slaughterman, who had worked at Silver Fern’s Finegand plant near Oamaru for almost 40 years, was already on a final written warning when the multiple stunning incident occurred in March last year.

Had it not sacked the worker, Silver Fern Farms (SFF) told the ERA, there was potential for damage to its brand through action taken by the Ministry for Primary Industries or overseas customers.

However, a fellow co-worker told the authority that four stun attempts were ‘‘not uncommon’’, and Rosson gave evidence that the company’s humane slaughter training programme did not specify the number of stuns.

ERA chief James Crichton said the training programme seemed to proceed on the expectation that one attempt would be enough to stun any animal before slaughter.

However, he was satisfied ‘‘that that view is not necessarily practised … This document ought to provide staff with better guidance than it does.’’

Asked if SFF had changed its guidelines as the ERA suggested, the company’s head of sustainability and communications, Justin Courtney, said it regularly reviewed its training programme and ‘‘task instructions’’.

The ERA said Rosson neither denied the allegations against him nor sought to apologise for them, and his dismissal was justified.

Crichton reserved costs, but said SFF ‘‘may see the merit in not seeking to pursue costs’’ against Rosson, who had lost his livelihood, not found other employment and incurred legal costs.

PHOTO: MURRAY WILSON/FAIRFAX NZ Silver Fern Farms was worried about a backlash from customers if it did not take action on animal cruelty by a meatworker.