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Safety and health of meat, poultry and fish processing workers

By Shizue Tomoda

Part 7

The employment, the total number of work hours and the average hourly wage in the cooperative sector of the meat and poultry industries in France are presented in table 2.1.4. Since the data cover only the cooperative sector and the number of workers is equivalent to full-time workers, the employment figures are much smaller than those in table 1.2.4. Table 2.1.4 shows that office workers are paid more than production workers. Both office and production workers in the meat industry are paid more than their counterparts in poultry. In fact, the poultry production workers' wages declined slightly in 1994, while those of everyone else continued to rise.

Table 2.1.4. Number of workers, total work-hours and average hourly wage in the cooperative

sector of the meat and poultry industries in France, by category of worker, 1991-94 (in French francs)

Year			Category of workers		Meat industry						Poultry industry
					No. of workers 1		Total work- hours (000 hours)		Average hourly wage		No. of workers		Total work- hours (000 hours)		Average hourly wage
1991			Office production		1 295 7 554		2 626 15 320		68.23 52.56		286 2 324		580 4 713		67.19 47.64
1992			Office production		1 427 7 788		2 894 15 793		73.60 53.88		305 2 408		618 4 883		69.86 49.38
1993			Office production		1 338 7 901		2 714 16 024		74.59 55.27		290 2 330		588 4 726		71.43 51.49
1994			Office production		1 345 8 231		2 727 16 693		77.17 55.46		293 2 339		595 4 744		72.15 51.21
1 Number of workers is equivalent to full-time workers. Source: Data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, France.

Tables 2.1.5 and 2.1.6 present average weekly gross earnings and average weekly hours of work, respectively, in the meat and fish processing sectors in Germany by gender. Men in both sectors earn much more than their female colleagues, due partly to the fact that they work longer hours. Both men and women in the meat industry earn more than their counterparts in the fish processing sector. This difference is not due to their work hours, but to gender. For example, the average hourly earnings of men in the meat sector in 1994 were DM22 compared with DM19.8 in fish processing. Those for women in the meat and fish sectors were DM16.7 and DM15, respectively.

How do the earnings and hours of work in the meat and fish processing sectors compare with those in other sectors in Germany? In the brewery industry, the average earnings for both men and women were higher and their work hours shorter than their respective counterparts in the meat and fish processing sectors. In the fruit and vegetable processing industries, both men and women earned more than their counterparts in the fish sector but less than those in the meat industry. The average hourly earnings of men and women in brewery in 1994 were DM26 and DM22, respectively, while those in fruits and vegetable processing were DM21.4 and DM16.3, respectively.²² This shows that women in brewery earned as much per hour as men in meat processing.

Table 2.1.5. Average weekly gross earnings in the meat and fish processing industries in Germany, 1988-94 (in Deutsche marks)

Industry		Gender		1988		1989		1990		1991		1992		1993		1994
Slaughtering/ meat processing		Men Women Total		745 525 672		762 539 685		813 576 731		842 605 757		873 617 788		905 639 818		930 658 839
Fish processing		Men Women Total		683 450 540		718 475 570		739 503 598		750 516 614		793 541 652		837 565 687		835 584 698
Source: Data provided by Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Sozialordnung, Bonn.

Table 2.1.6. Average weekly work-hours in the meat and fish processing industries in Germany, 1988-94

Industry		Gender		1988		1989		1990		1991		1992		1993		1994
Slaughtering/ meat processing		Men Women Total		43.4 40.5 42.4		43.1 40.6 42.2		43.3 40.8 42.5		42.9 40.3 42.0		42.4 39.7 41.5		42.0 39.3 41.1		42.0 39.3 41.2
Fish processing		Men Women Total		44.8 40.3 42.0		44.9 40.9 42.5		44.7 41.1 42.5		43.1 39.9 41.2		42.9 39.2 40.8		42.8 39.1 40.8		42.2 38.9 40.4
Source: Data provided by Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Sozialordnung, Bonn.

Average monthly earnings and work hours in the livestock products and seafood processing industries in Japan by size of establishment and gender are presented in tables 2.1.7 and 2.1.8, respectively. Table 2.1.7 shows that men earn more than twice as much as women in both sectors regardless of the size of the establishment. Both men and women in livestock products generally earn more than their counterparts in seafood. Those employed in larger establishments are better paid than their counterparts in smaller firms.

Table 2.1.7. Average monthly earnings¹ in the livestock products and seafood processing industries in Japan, by size of establishment and gender (in 1,000 yen)

Industry		Size (No. of workers)		Gender		1991		1992		1993		1994
Livestock products		5 or more		M F		361 140		381 147		399 153		411 151
		30 or more		M F		377 147		394 153		412 160		425 162
Seafood		5 or more		M F		313 123		329 129		330 126		328 128
		30 or more		M F		327 134		347 134		342 130		358 133
1 Earnings include overtime and special pay. Source: Ministry of Labour: Monthly Labour Survey, National Survey, Dec. 1991-94 series, Tokyo, Japan.

Table 2.1.8 shows that men work longer hours than women in both sectors, regardless of the size of the firm. Both male and female seafood workers work longer hours than their counterparts in livestock products. While men in smaller firms tend to work longer than their counterparts in larger firms in livestock products, it was the opposite in the seafood sector.

Finally, hourly earnings of livestock products and seafood processing workers are compared with those of bakery and confectionery workers. The figures show that in 1994 male livestock workers in smaller firms earned 2,357 yen per hour as opposed to those in larger firms who earned 2,452 yen. Women in smaller and larger firms in the same sector earned 1,037 yen and 1,089 yen, respectively. In the seafood sector, men in smaller and larger firms earned 1,778 yen and 1,913 yen, respectively, as opposed to women's earnings of 886 yen and 930 yen, respectively. Men in bakery and confectionery earned 2,004 yen and 2,090 yen, respectively, in the same month, compared with women earning 1,080 yen and 1,133 yen, respectively.²³ Women employed in smaller firms in seafood processing are the lowest paid workers among the different groups compared here.

Table 2.1.8. Average monthly hours of work in the livestock products and seafood processing

industries in Japan, by size of establishment and gender (including overtime work)

Industry		Size (No. of workers)		Gender		1991		1992		1993		1994
Livestock products		5 or more		M F		179.7 150.6		177.1 145.0		178.2 148.4		174.4 145.6
		30 or more		M F		177.7 148.2		175.4 144.0		177.6 149.3		173.3 148.8
Seafood		5 or more		M F		191.5 157.0		188.2 153.3		188.9 144.5		184.5 144.5
		30 or more		M F		191.4 163.3		190.1 156.4		191.6 144.4		187.1 143.0
Source: Ministry of Labour: Monthly Labour Survey, National Survey, Dec. 1991-94 series, Tokyo, Japan.

Table 2.1.9 shows the change in average hourly earnings of workers employed in the meat and fish and shellfish processing industries in Mexico for 1988-94. The hourly earnings rose steadily, but the employees in the meat industry are better paid than those in fish and shellfish processing, as was the case in many other countries discussed above. Moreover, the difference in their hourly earnings in this country appears to become greater. For example, fish and shellfish workers' earnings in 1989 were equivalent to 90 per cent of those of meat workers. This dropped to 83 per cent in 1992 and further to 79 per cent in 1994.

In accordance with the labour code in Poland, work hours must not exceed eight hours a day and 42 hours a week. Should anyone be required to work on a Sunday or any other day considered to be a day of rest, he/she should be granted a day off. When he/she is required to work overtime at night or on a Sunday or public holiday, he/she is entitled to a premium of 50 per cent for the first two hours and 100 per cent for any subsequent hours, in addition to his/her normal remuneration.²⁴ Data on average hours of actual work and earnings were not available.

Table 2.1.9. Average hourly earnings¹ in the meat, fish and shellfish processing industries in Mexico (in pesos)

Industry		1988		1989		1990		1991		1992		1993		1994
Meat		3 115		4 101		5 569		7 346		9 188		11 611		13 427
Fish and shellfish		2 727		3 700		5 035		6 141		7 609		n.a.		10 565
1 Hourly earnings include wages, salaries and value of benefits. Data for 1994 are preliminary. Source: Encuesta Industrial Mensual, provided by the Ministry of Labour, Mexico.

Average gross weekly earnings and weekly work hours of full-time manual workers in the slaughtering of animals and production of meat and by-products industry in the United Kingdom by gender for 1989-94 are presented in Table 2.1.10. This sector covers slaughterhouses, bacon curing and meat processing, poultry slaughter and processing and animal by-product processing (SIC code 412). It shows that men's average hourly earnings rose from £4.12 in 1989 to £5.28 in 1994, and women's from £3.07 to £4.14. In effect, women's average hourly earnings improved from 74 per cent of men's in 1989 to 78 per cent in 1994.

The data on earnings and hours of work in the bacon curing/meat processing (SIC code 4122) and poultry (4123) subsectors provided in the New Earnings Survey²⁵ show that full-time manual male workers in bacon curing/meat processing earned £4.90 per hour in 1991 and £5.58 in 1994. The earnings of their female counterparts improved from £3.86 in 1991 to £4.81 in 1994. In poultry, men's earnings increased from £4.50 to £4.81 for the same period, as opposed to women's average earnings of £3.65 recorded in 1991. Data on the latter's earnings were not available thereafter in this subsector. The above shows that those who are employed in the bacon curing/meat processing are paid slightly more while those in poultry are paid less than the average for the whole sector (SIC 412).

The above figures are now compared with the data for the whole food industry in the United Kingdom. In 1989, male food (SIC 411-423) workers worked an average of 46.9 hours and earned an average of £212.90 per week, which increased to 45.8 hours and £276.20 in 1994. Women's work hours and earnings changed from 42 hours and £136.50 in 1989 to 42.1 hours and £186.90 in 1994. Average hourly earnings therefore improved from £4.54 to £6.03 for men and from £3.25 to £4.44 for women for the same period. This suggests that even those who are employed in the bacon curing/meat processing sector earned less than the average for the whole food sector.

Table 2.1.10. Average gross weekly earnings and weekly work-hours of full-time manual workers in the slaughtering of animals and production of meat and by-products industry in the United Kingdom

Earnings and work-hours	Gender	1989	1991	1993	1994
Average gross weekly earnings1	M F	188.5 127.4	212.6 161.4	230.9 174.9	240.3 177.0
Average weekly work-hours2	M F	45.7 41.5	45.0 42.6	44.9 41.6	45.5 42.7
1 Including those whose pay was affected by absence; in pounds. 2 Including overtime work; in hours. Source: Department of Employment: New Earnings Survey, Part C, Analyses by Industry 1989-94 Series (London, HMSO).

Table 2.1.11 presents the average weekly work hours and weekly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers in meat-related industries in the United States. It shows that the employees in sausages and other prepared meats work the longest hours per week, and those in poultry the shortest hours. The former are the best paid workers, their average hourly earnings having risen from US$9.37 in 1990 to $10.14 in 1994. On the other hand, the latter's hourly earnings increased from $6.93, or 74 per cent of the former, to $7.76, or 77 per cent of the former, during the same period.

The hourly earnings of the workers in these three subsectors are now compared with those in other sectors. In food and kindred products, which covers all three subsectors discussed above, the average hourly earnings increased from US$9.66 in 1990 to $10.70 in 1994. In the beverage sector, they climbed from $13.40 to $15.10 for the same period.²⁶ In the meat sector, workers are paid less per hour than the average in the food sector, as are those in the United Kingdom.

This information is summarized as follows. Where information was available, men in general worked longer hours than women, but they also earned higher hourly wages. Among workers in these sectors, meat workers were usually paid more than poultry workers, while the latter normally earned more than fish- processing workers. In many countries, however, the average earnings in the food sector as a whole were higher than those in any of the three sectors. For example, the average hourly earnings in poultry in some countries were only about half of those in the beverage sector.

Table 2.1.11. Average weekly work-hours and weekly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers in the United States, by industry¹

Industry		Average weekly hours										Average weekly earnings
		1990		1991		1992		1993		1994		1990		1991		1992		1993		1994
Meat-packing plants		41.0		40.1		40.0		40.9		43.0		358.8		356.9		363.6		380.8		408.5
Sausages and other prepared meats		42.0		40.9		41.6		42.7		43.2		393.5		384.1		400.6		426.2		438.1
Poultry slaughtering and processing		38.5		38.9		38.1		39.1		39.7		266.8		274.6		276.2		292.5		308.1
1 Data are for July each year and are not seasonally adjusted. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor: Employment and Earnings Series, Washington, DC.

Notes:

²² Statistics provided by Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Socialordnung, Germany.

²³ Ministry of Labour: Monthly Labour Survey, National Survey, No. 551, Dec., 1994, Tokyo, Japan.

²⁴ Information provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Poland.

²⁵ Published by the Department of Employment, London, UK.

²⁶ Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor: Employment and Earnings, Sep. 1991 and Oct. 1994, Washington, DC.

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