Meat industry and workers
A Senator rejected claims that all meat plants are gangster-run and defended family businesses and local employment, while opposition Senators pressed about union recognition and workers’ rights. The exchange became heated but stayed on the meat-processing sector and labour conditions.
I take issue with the sweeping and general comments made by my colleague, Senator Gavan, when he claimed that all meat processing plants are run by gangsters. There are a number of family-run meat processing plants in Mayo, such as Jennings in Ballinrobe, which is operated by the Vaughan-----
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The Senator should allow me to finish. I did not interrupt him when he was speaking.
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All the Senator wants to do is agitate. He does not want to hear the truth. These are family-run businesses.
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Jennings in Ballinrobe and Dunleavy Meats outside Ballina both provide good work. There were no blockades at their factory gates. They are not the problem. There is a structural problem in the whole meat industry. These people are just trying to run a business, and while they are small players in the industry, they provide valuable employment in their local areas. Many farmers were glad to be able to go to them to get their animals slaughtered during the recent pickets. I do not think generalised statements help at all. We should have more considered debates, given all the rhetoric I hear about inflammatory types of speech that do not help anybody. There are similar family meat processing plants around the country that can stand over their situations.