Further walkouts are planned today as Meat Workers Union members continue their industrial action at Affco plants around the country.

Five of the eight plants in the North Island were locked out on Wednesday after negotiations over new employment agreements failed.

Meat workers protesting in Rangiuru today.

Plants in Te Puke, Napier and Wiri have joined the strike action by walking off the job this morning.

About 80 workers are protesting outside the gates of the Te Puke plant in Rangiuru this morning.

They are not blocking access to the plant, but are boisterous from the kerb.

Affco has offered a 2.3 per cent pay increase and a further two per cent rise next year as part of the negotiations.

'Affco meat company has given notice of an indefinite lockout of meat workers to try and starve its workers into accepting major changes to its collective employment agreement,” Meat Workers Union secretary Dave Eastlake.

He says meat workers will be holding meetings to discuss the lockout and is asking for the Affco management to return to the negotiating table in order to find a resolution in the dispute.

Dave says today's strike action is in response to 760 members being locked out earlier in the week.

'It's in support of them – we think they should be back at work.”