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Strike-bound cheese factory 'damaging environment'

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Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:14a.m.

Talleys-owned Open Country Cheese's has been accused of running its Waharoa plant in Waikato without appropriate trained staff leading to serious environmental damage.

Thirty six workers have been locked out of the factory after walking off the job on Wednesday night over a pay and contracts dispute.

OCC has brought in outsiders to keep production going.

James Ritchie, national secretary of the Dairy Workers Union, said today untrained staff were now operating the plant.

"Environmental management is a critical part of any dairy operation but OCC wants to drive production at any cost," he said. "Today the environmental ponds overflowed with deactivated sludge and poured into the river. The sludge tanks need to be managed by trained staff and is a critical part of the manufacturing process. Normally the sludge is collected by trucks and spread on farms, but we found out this morning that it had been poured directly into the Waitoa river."

Mr Ritchie said Environment Waikato had been notified of the damage.

The company was not available for comment this morning.

NZPA
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Comments

03 Oct 2009 11:04p.m.

T wrote:

How about you babies get it into your heads, you are not wanted at the factory, because you are not prepared to put in a fair days work.... stop crying on the blog sites, and trying to spread your propaganda, and get out there and try finding a job that you like.... sitting on your butts!

21 Sep 2009 09:31p.m.

Jim wrote:

These guys at open country cheese don't realy care about the enviroment, open country cheese has been taken to court twice now and found guilty both times with dumping of cream and sludge and now they are going to be held accountable a third time cause the ponds are set up right now they just need the right people to manage it and no-one can get into the company grounds to sabotage them when it's got 24hr security guards unless there not doing their jobs. I think the people that are striking are brave enough to take on such a big company who bully and assault the workers, that's right assault there workers and try to intimidate them into taking as little money as they can. The strike is not about money it's about working conditions no-one wants to be treated like a circus monkey NO-ONE. So i thinks it's only fair that we get behind these people that are striking so come on New Zealand be a true kiwi and show some support cause they have got mine.

20 Sep 2009 02:13p.m.

Simmonds wrote:

No the ponds and irrigation system was never set up right in the first place when I worked there.The attutide was get the product through whatever the cost thease guys just are not professional in there approach.Farmers are right to maintain there collective approah protection.Beleave me Tellys are not there to help them,its about them making the big bucks any way any how!!!!!

19 Sep 2009 05:56p.m.

Jim wrote:

It was one of the workers on strike that went and done it not one of the outsiders running the plant. What you got to say about that Mr James Ritchie