Australia: Now They Are ‘Being Crippled’ By Live Exports and Losing Jobs, the Aus Meat Workers Suddenly See the Light About Live Animal Exports and Speak Against It, as Never Before.

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

http://www.theage.com.au/national/meatworkers-joins-forces-with-animal-welfare-activists-20100310-pxfb.html

Meatworkers joins forces with animal welfare activists

March 10, 2010 – 12:54PM

THE AUSTRALIAN meatworkers union has formed an unlikely alliance with animal welfare activists opposing the live export trade.

The Australian Meat Industry Employees Union said live exports were crippling the meat processing industry and costing jobs in regional Australia at a joint press conference with the World Society for the Protection of Animals at NSW Parliament House this morning.

Union president Grant Courtney said abattoirs around Australia were forced to close or cut their workforce due to competition for livestock from the federally subsidised live export trade.

The industry had already lost 40,000 jobs and 150 meat-processing plants in the past three decades, Mr Courtney said.

“I can’t understand why the Government is sticking its head in the sand when thousands of Australian jobs are being lost due to this trade,” he said.

WSPA’s program manager Emily Reeves said the Federal Government should halt the live export trade for both economic and animal welfare reasons.

Despite recent federal government attempts to improve animal welfare in export countries, she said a recent investigation in the Middle East had gathered video footage showing that cruelty and mishandling of Australian animals continued.

“We’ve got the economic data to show live export is bad business, we’ve got a rural industry crippled through poorly thought-out Government policy and we’ve got yet more proof that Australian animals are being handled and slaughtered in a way that would horrify Australians,” Ms Reeves said.

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SAV comment – Sad when people who have never spoken out against Australian live animal exports now have to do so because just one thing is being affected – the size of their wage packet !

To hell with animal welfare, money is always the only thing that matters to them !!

Maybe Kevin Rudd will now have to swallow his pride and do what he always promised he would do before he was elected – and that is to ‘not abide animal cruelty’:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/australia-australias-new-prime-minister-kevin-rudd-said-prior-to-the-election-that-he-would-not-abide-animal-cruelty-so-why-does-he-still-allow-it/

Compassion for animals ? – No.

Big concerns only for the national balance of trade ? – you bet.

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A Book worth viewing – An excellent insight into live animal exports ! – SAV.

Describes the desperate and cruel economic phenomenon of “live transport” (sheep being transported across oceans to be slaughtered), orchestrated by Sue Coe’s powerful images. Coe’s illustrations don’t shy away from the brutality of her story, with images of sheep shearing, ‘beast pillars and war mongering; sheep truck tip over on the highway, sheep and cattle are herded into tiny containers, ships burn and sink. Coe also gives accurate depictions of kosher/Muslim slaughter techniques, providing brutal insight into this little-known industry.
 
 
 
 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional |

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