US poultry food group Tyson has been ordered to pay a US$250,000 fine for labour violation at its Blountsville, Alabama, factory.
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The US Department of Labour said yesterday (6 November) that violations dating back to 2000 saw the poultry giant fail to keep accurate records and fairly pay employees. The Department’s findings affected about 3,000 current and former workers.
The investigation looked at whether employees should be paid for time spent putting on and taking off protective clothing and meal time activities.
“Today’s decision is a critical achievement in the department’s longstanding efforts to ensure that employers in the meat and poultry industries pay employees for all time worked,” the labor department said.
In a statement, Tyson said it was evaluating the implications of the verdict to determine what action it would take.
Tyson said that the case illustrated an ongoing legal debate over employers responsibilities under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
“Rather than litigate, we would rather see the Department of Labor and others work cooperatively with industries such as ours to bring some clarity and consistency to this complex issue,” Tyson said.
