Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu says it's reluctant to get involved in the employment dispute between AFFCO and the Meat Workers Union.
Some of the workers coming down from a bridge where they were holding a protest. Photo: RNZ / John Campbell
More than 250 workers are refusing to sign individual employment contracts as they want a collective contract reinstated.
The issue has been running for six weeks and the case is currently before the employment court.
Earlier this week the Council of Trade Unions asked Māori farmers to withhold stock from AFFCO to try to force the company back to the bargaining table. AFFCO responded by warning it will not need to employ as many staff if that happens.
Ngāti Kahungunu spokesperson Rill Meihana said the iwi is in a difficult position because it has a connection to people on both sides of the fence.
"We've got people all over the place connected to that meat works. People who have signed individual contracts and people who've refused to sign the contracts," he said.
"I've been involved in a couple of meetings but because I look at it as the iwi should be in a neutral position, although our people are the ones not working, but I've got to look at the whole picture. It's not a simple thing to sort."
Both the union and AFFCO need to urgently sort the dispute, Mr Meihana said.
"The sad thing about it it's actually holding the Wairoa town in a funny sort of way to ransom. Most of the Wairoa area connects to that works as well...all the business services is fed from the freezing works as well. It's the biggest employer in town.
"To me, people need to get their acts together and sit down and talk to one another. Both parties need to grow up and start dealing to it like adults."