Dairy factory workers are shrugging off fears that a recent stormy industrial dispute will spur other processors to target the workforce.

The drawn-out dispute between Open Country Dairy and workers at its cheese plant at Waharoa ended in 28 of the 34 protesting workers losing their jobs.

Dairy Workers Union national secretary James Ritchie says dairy factory workers are generally treated well by employers and the recent is not an overall reflection.

‘Our relationship with employers is based on mutual respect and good faith,’ he told Rural News.

He says the union has collective agreements in place with most employers, including the biggest processor Fonterra.

Open Country workers went on strike in late September seeking a collective agreement between the company and the union.

But the company announced that it was restructuring the plant operation from a four-shift structure to a three-shift structure.

After an eight-day strike, the workers were locked out for 29 days by the company as it brought in workers from its other plants to help maintain its output of 1.4 million litres of milk a day during the peak season for production.

During the dispute, the company accused the workers of sabotaging operations.

The union, in turn, charged that using labour from other plants was illegal and accused the company of discharging wastewater from the factory into the Waitoa River.

A settlement was reached on October 21 and a collective agreement was signed for the six workers who retain their jobs.

Ritchie says the dispute was tough on the workers and praised his members for sticking together.

‘All that these workers wanted was some basic job security through a collective employment agreement and they were locked out for standing up for their rights,’ he says.

Ritchie says the company’s restructuring at the plant greatly reduced the number of positions available.

Open Country Dairy chairman Laurie Margrain says company is aligning the plant’s operations with those of its other two sites in Wanganui and Awarua.

‘The costs of producing a tonne of product at Waharoa are more than twice the costs of producing the same tonne of product at our other sites and that is simply unsustainable.’

He says the proposed restructure of the milk powder operation was a result of the company investing in new technology and automation systems.