The processing line at the Brooks, Alberta, XL Foods plant runs at such a fast speed that workers take shortcuts, risking the cleanliness of the facility.
This, according to a Canadian Press report in which the union for workers at the beleaguered plant is calling for a public inquiry into the issues surrounding the shutdown of the facility.
According to the report, Doug O'Halloran, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401, said during a news conference that the line processes 300 to 320 carcasses each hour and that employees make up to 4,000 cuts per shift, resulting in poor sanitation of equipment such as knives.
XL Foods CEO Brian Nilsson said that the line speeds run at less than the industry average for a plant its size.
On Saturday the company announced that it would temporarily lay off some 2,000 employees of the Brooks plant. Late Sunday the plant issued recall notices to 800 workers to move forward with a Canadian Food Inspection Agency review.
Employees have received full pay on their 32-hour weekly guarantee for the past three weeks even though few scheduled shifts have been available.
Source: Argentine Beef Packers S.A.
Back to News Headlines