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Housing and high cattle prices hit meatworkers

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High cattle prices and the housing crisis have led to changes at the Casino Food Co-op.

Meatworks
Upping the steaks: Casino Food Co-op’s Simon Stahl shows Federal MP Kevin Hogan the retail-ready steaks packed at the new plant. The photo was taken at the announcement of the plant. Photo: Susanna Freymark

Shifts have been reduced and the co-operative plans to build worker cottages on site.

Chief executive Simon Stahl said the price of cattle was too high for the meat processing plant.

“Restockers and lot feeders are prepared to pay more money than we can,” he said.

“All the cattle from the saleyard will go back into the paddock.”

With up to 800 staff employed at the co-op, the second shift has been suspended until January, Mr Stahl said.

The co-op expects to be busier then.

Some staff picked up extra work at the Booyong site, deboning pigs. Half moved to the day shift, he said.

“Some people have elected not to work.”

Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union
secretary Justin Smith said no one had been laid off at the co-op.

“Some casuals have lost shifts and there have been some redundancies in management,”Mr Smith said, “ and night shifts have gone to day shifts.”

With the expectation of needing more workers next year and the current accommodation crisis in Casino, Mr Stahl said the co-op was in conversation with Richmond Valley Council to build on-site worker’s cottages.

“We’re doing all the relevant development application work to take the pressure off the housing,” he said.

Usually, the co-op rents six to eight houses for workers, sometimes for people from Sudan under the Pacific Labour Scheme.

“If we can provide 60-odd beds, we help workers and the community”.

Richmond River Independent 22 September 2021

This article appeared in the Richmond River Independent, 22 September 2021.

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