GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT

Changes in Meat Inspection

  Council Members have had a number of meetings both with Food Standards Agency Board members and FSA officials over the past few months since my last report. 

I have also attended a meeting of the Industry Working Group organised by the Meat Hygiene Service set up to look at the possible changes to the future of meat inspection and to monitor those changes through the process.  It was agreed that these meetings should take place on a BI-monthly cycle.  The first meeting took place on 4 October 2000, which I attended on behalf of the association, and Ben Priestly on behalf of Unison.  The meeting was mainly concerned with agreeing a format for future meetings.  However despite the agreement of BI-monthly meetings, to date the association has not received notice of a further meeting of this group.

  The association treasurer attended a Food Standards Agency Seminar on HACCP, and changes to meat inspection, which was held over 2 days at the MLC Milton Keynes.  Representatives of all the sections across the meat industry were present.  Unison was also represented at the seminar by Ron Spellman.  It is hoped that the Minutes from these meetings will be sent to the association by the Food Standards Agency and we will publish them either in précis form or in full, in the next edition of the Meat Hygienist.                             

  Unison Campaign

  You will be aware that in the past the association had agreed to take part in the Unison campaign against the privatisation of meat inspection. Although your National Council fully supports the Unison campaign, it was thought that the association should launch its own campaign on behalf of the Membership against privatisation. 

  Unison has distributed the campaign material to each Union Member, the Association would ask all the membership to co-operate and assist in this campaign. For without a strong campaign from both the association and union we will undoubtedly see changes in meat inspection come into being, which will devalue the entire system, and put the publics health at risk as well as a loss of jobs for inspectors.

  Association of Meat Inspectors Campaign

  You will find within this edition of the Hygienist a draft letter for your MP & MEP.  The association asks that all its members copy this letter and send a copy off to your Member of Parliament and also to your Member of the European Parliament.

  We are sure at National Council that without demonstrating we have the full support of Meat Inspectors that Council will be unable to exert the necessary pressure to change the hearts and minds of the FSA. 

Meat Inspectors should remember the proposals which at present appear to be on the table for an audit arm of the Food Standards Agency will consist of approximately 200 people.  If this is based on the model from other countries, it will be in the order of 150 veterinary surgeons and 50 meat inspectors!! 

We should be under no illusions this whole procedure has got nothing to do with protecting or improving public health, but is a cost cutting exercise designed to reduce the inspection bills to industry, thereby removing pressure from Government.

  The net result of these changes will be as follows:

Meat Inspectors - between 80 and 95% of their jobs would disappear as civil servants, with the intention of these jobs reappearing as industry based roles.

  Many of us myself included, come from a meat industry background and care deeply for the industry.  However, I have yet to meet one person, either a veterinary surgeon or a meat inspector who thinks that to put meat inspection at the mercy of privatisation is a forward step, in fact much of industry also do not want the function, but wish to maintain an independent system. With the exclusion of in-plant officials and just an audit role we believe that the public health must be put at risk.

  Do your bit send a copy of the letter to your MP and MEP; also pass the word to your Meat Inspection colleagues. Let us show that we will resist these changes wholeheartedly. If we fail to act, then the changes will be forced through and it will become a fait accompli, YOUR JOBS ARE ON THE LINE.

  Let me once again set out the Association of Meat Inspectors view on the privatisation of meat inspection which is very, very simple, It should not happen, there must remain an independent meat inspection system in the UK.

  It would assist the association if you would inform in writing or e-mail, either your Divisional Secretary or the General Secretary of the names of your MP & MEP to whom you have sent the letter we will then be able to send follow up information to them.

  The Association will be fighting these changes on your behalf, but it will be of little use without your active support, lets work together to produce an improved system of meat inspection and not a privatised system.