JBS Australia site closes as coronavirus hits more Victorian abattoirs
One of the busiest abattoirs in Victoria has been ordered to shut its doors due to coronavirus, while 12 workers at another Melbourne abattoir test positive to the virus. (Picture: File)
A SUCCESSION of coronavirus cases has been linked to a number of Melbourne meat processing plants, with one of the states largest abattoirs ordered to shut down.
It is understood JBS Australia’s Brooklyn plant has been ordered to close its doors for the remainder of the week after four employees tested positive for the virus.
The first employee tested positive about a week ago, along with another worker at the Pacific Meat Sales abattoir in Thomastown.
The Department of Health announced last Monday, the Pacific Meat abattoir had closed but did not answer questions from The Weekly Times about the fate of the JBS site.
Somerville Retail Services, a meat processor in Tottenham, has also recorded a total of 12 cases of coronavirus.
United Workers Union Director of Logistics Matt Toner told The Weekly Times lamb processing area workers at JBS’ Brooklyn plant were instructed by the company not to come to work on Saturday, before the beef processing area was directed to shut down yesterday.
“I’m led to believe the whole site will be closed for the week,” Mr Toner said.
“There are only 35 workers in there, all dispatch workers for all the meat already processed and packed ready to be distributed. No processing workers are on site today.”
The union has called for JBS to pay all workers pandemic leave for the duration of the shutdown, as well as deep clean the processing plant, immediate notification of further cases and special training for worker representatives.
“Unless JBS takes these union member’s demands seriously, the virus will continue to spread and the facility could take longer to reopen. This could have devastating effects on our food supply chain and could leave the supermarket’s meat shelves bare,” Mr Toner said.
It is understood JBS is undertaking a deep clean of the abattoir.
While it remains unclear what the impact of JBS’s closure would be, a drop in slaughter rates due to restocking along the east coast could protect the livestock industry during the plant’s closure.
Elders Albury livestock manager Brett Shea said JBS did not operate at the Barnawartha prime sale yesterday.
“We really hope JBS gets through this shutdown as quickly and smoothly as possibly. We’re probably just lucky it happened at a period of time where we’re having an excellent season, and supply is at its tightest,” Mr Shea said.
It is understood JBS is undertaking a deep clean of the abattoir. JBS declined to comment.
JBS’ Brooklyn site employs about 1,230 people, according to its website.
The Department of Health announced last Monday, the Pacific Meat abattoir had closed, but did not answer questions about the fate of the JBS site.
Somerville Retail Services and Pacific Meat Sales were both contacted for comment.
It has been just over six weeks since Cedar Meats abattoir in Brooklyn reopened for livestock processing after it closed on May 1 and more than 100 staff and close contacts tested positive to coronavirus.
Victoria has recorded 177 new cases of coronavirus since Sunday, bringing the total number of cases statewide to 3967.
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