Factory bosses have accused striking workers of sabotage at Open Country Cheese in New Zealand following a recent spill into the Waitoa river.
The Waikato Times in New Zealand reported that two cubic metres of sludge leaked into the river when environmental ponds overflowed at the company's Waharoa factory because a switch had been turned off and a valve left open.
Open Country Cheese chief executive Mark Fankhauser has accused the striking workers of trying to sabotage the factory, a claim Dairy Workers Union national secretary James Ritchie emphatically denied.
Police and Environment Waikato are investigating. Mr Fankhauser, who said the company had now beefed up security, said the incident made it difficult for the company to continue to negotiate with the striking workers.
"I am always hopeful of an outcome but unfortunately the behaviour by some of the guys at the gate makes things less certain," he said.
"My personal opinion is that the leak was as a result of someone who was not legitimately allowed on the factory site.
"It is subject to investigation, but in order to do what was done it would require detailed knowledge of the particular work area."
The allegations come as 36 workers continue to strike over contract negotiations after walking off the job last Wednesday. Dairy Workers Union national secretary James Ritchie said it was outrageous to suggest that striking workers had anything to do with the spill.
"Unless it was done by somebody who was working in the factory, I just don't see how it could have been done by one of the workers because there is so much security," he said.
The company was trying to shift the blame for the environmental hazard, and distract from the negotiations with its workers, Mr Ritchie said.
"They need to take the responsibility for running the plant without appropriately trained environmental staff. The real issue is that somebody in the management team at Open Country needs to get around the table and be part of some serious discussions. We are not looking for a pay increase, we are just trying to get some production around a collective agreement."
Open Country Cheese has issued notice of a six-week lock-out for workers who continue to strike. It begins on Thursday. Mr Frankhauser said two security guards were monitoring the Open Country Cheese site but the spill area, outside the factory, was not manned at night.
"We have taken substantial steps to beef up security."
Environment Waikato resource officer Barry Campbell said the spill sludge was non-toxic to humans and livestock and most of it had been contained.
Source: Waikato Times, NZ.
Add a comment