Day 096 - 03 Mar 95 - Page 42


     
     1        throughout Europe for this purpose -- very effective.
     2
     3   Q.   But the accumulator is after the -----
     4        A.  After the sticking area.
     5
     6   Q.   After sticking, right.  But the part before that, it could
     7        be speeded up if you managed to stun two pigs in a batch or
     8        three pigs in a batch, rather than just one?
     9
    10   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  As I understand it, what you are saying
    11        is, supposing you were stunning pigs as quickly as you
    12        could so that you end up stunning them twice as fast as
    13        automatically they are released from the accumulation on to
    14        the line, as it were, thereafter, you would get a backing
    15        up?
    16        A.  Yes.
    17
    18   Q.   And you would just have to stop stunning ---
    19        A.  That is correct.
    20
    21   Q.   -- until it freed itself?
    22        A.  Yes, because the stunning at all times is always
    23        slightly quicker than the conveyor is.
    24
    25   Q.   Yes, so, in effect, you have to have gaps or slow it
    26        down  ---
    27        A.  Correct.
    28
    29   Q.   -- if you do not want to have a jam back from the lights,
    30        as it were?
    31        A.  Correct.
    32
    33   MS. STEEL:   The stunning is always slightly quicker than the
    34        conveyor, so does that mean you have always got meat
    35        building up in the accumulator?
    36        A.  No, because you have pigs that, you know, are more
    37        droveable than others and, you know, quicker and slower,
    38        and it does vary at that point.
    39
    40   Q.   So it would not necessarily mean that you could not stick
    41        them any quicker?
    42        A.  No, no.  Obviously, the staff in the stunning pen can
    43        see the accumulator, right?  They can see the top of it and
    44        they can then see if it has come to a stage where, say, it
    45        is full, they will then stop stunning until it released
    46        itself.
    47
    48   Q.   Are the workers paid peace rate?
    49        A.  No.
    50 
    51   Q.   They are not? 
    52        A.  No. 
    53
    54   Q.   How long has that been the case?
    55        A.  30 years, I should think.  20, 30 years, something like
    56        that.
    57
    58   Q.   The stunning uses head stunning rather than head to body
    59        stunning?
    60        A.  Head stunning, yes.

Prev Next Index