Locked-out single mum flies to UK to seek help from British unions

A locked-out single mother of eight flew to London today to ask for help from Britain and Ireland’s largest union.
The New Zealand Meat Workers Union is escalating pressure on the company as the dispute goes into its second month.

Amanda Chase, 44, a small town mum with eight children aged 8 to 25, has been invited to speak at Unite the Union’s national meat workers committee conference.

“It’s tough for my kids but it would have been worse if I hadn’t been a budget services manager before,” she says. “Because of my work in budgeting I know how hard the company’s cuts will hurt people in the long term – that’s why I’m out the gate.”

Mrs Chase will be seeking support for a pressure campaign against up-market British supermarket chain Waitrose, a major customer of CMP Rangitikei.

The 1.5 million-strong Unite has a history of successfully campaigning for ethics and employment standards in the British supermarket supply chain.

ANZCO Foods have asked for mediation on Wednesday 23 November.