The Meatworkers' Union says AFFCO's claims it needs to tighten budgets due to industry downturns are false.

New Zealand Meat Workers Union National Secretary Graeme Cooke points to commodity indexes for July which show rises in beef products.

"In fact it's gone the opposite way in the past 12 months, so it's wrong to say that the industry is in decline. In fact some meat companies have done very well in recent years."

And the government's in the line of fire as one thousand meat-workers prepare for a two-day strike this Monday.

In a first for New Zealand industrial relations - AFFCO walked away from employer negotiations.

That was banned under the Employment Relations Act but was enabled by reforms to the act made by National.

Mr Cooke said it's companies and government putting business first.

"I think it's greed - they're taking a lot of money off workers that create income for New Zealand."