Labour Court recommends piece-rate trial and retrospective PESP payments at Grove Turkeys

In 1994, the Labour Court recommended a six-month piece-rate trial in the kill line and packing area at Grove Turkeys Limited, with monthly reviews and a joint monitoring committee. It also recommended phase 2 PESP increases for workers on and off the new system, including a lump sum for full retrospective payment when the recommendation was accepted. The recommendation was signed on 5 October 1994. The Amalgamated Transport And General Workers Union said phase 2 increases were already due and workers were unwilling to take on piece-rate work for money already owed. Grove Turkeys Limited said it faced serious trading difficulties, including a fire that destroyed two-thirds of its Smithboro processing facilities, and that a self-financing piece-rate system was needed for the company's future.