- Vets strike disrupts meat industry.
- Concerns about animal welfare.
- Possible food supply disruption.
A meat producers’ organization has warned that a strike by government veterinarians could force the closure of some livestock factories in Northern Ireland in the following week.
On Monday, union members will commence a five-day strike in response to a pay dispute.
According to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), the presence of official veterinarians in abattoirs is mandatory for the slaughter of cattle, swine, sheep, and poultry.
This, according to the report, would necessitate the closure of some meat factories, causing a disruption in the food supply chain.
However, supermarkets are downplaying the possibility of product shortages.
Supermarkets Downplay Shortage Risk
The agriculture department of Stormont, which employs veterinarians via the Veterinary Service Animal Health Group (VSAHG), has declared that staffing poultry factories will take precedence.
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Many believe that the red meat industry will continue operations at major facilities and does not anticipate any consumer shortages.
Operational Disruptions at the Irish Sea Border
The Nipsa union, representing vets, stated that they were striking to protest a “decision to impose a derisory pay award of £552” on civil service employees.
Carmel Gates, representing the union, stated last week that its members were “fed up” with pay offers below inflation when he announced the strike.
“These members play a vital role in ensuring we have a safe food supply,” according to her.
Injuries of swine
The BMPA announced that they would raise animal welfare and business concerns during the strike.
Nick Allen, its chief executive officer, stated that the cessation of operations at certain facilities would result in food supply chain disruptions and a loss of revenue for those companies.
He stated that this becomes an especially significant concern as we approach the most hectic time of the year, leading up to Christmas, during which our members are busy preparing holiday goods such as hams and pigs-in-blankets.
The BMPA expressed concern regarding animal welfare in the swine industry due to the accumulation of pigs on farms.
Farmers encountered a commercial dilemma, according to the report, because the animals grew too large and “out of scope” to be sold in supermarkets.
This week, the Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs issued the statement, “From 30 October to 3 November, official controls and activities across all slaughter and animal processing establishments cannot be guaranteed.”
It also stated that it would “prioritize the slaughter and processing across the intensive livestock sector, beginning with poultry, reviewing the situation daily and modifying service provision where capability allows” in order to lessen the impact on animal health and welfare.
They also anticipate the strike causing operational disruptions at the commerce border in the Irish Sea.
