Picket lines were established on 9 May 1985 at the Victoria River, Mudginberri and Alice Springs abattoirs. Almost unanimously (there were a couple of exceptions that joined the picket line), workers at Mudginberri defied the union instructions and continued to work. Many of the pickets at Mudginberri were from the Katherine abattoir which had failed to open that season with management citing unavailability of stock due to dry conditions, but a conflicting report in the "National Farmer" said that cattle producers had voted to boycott Katherine meatworks while it "continues to side with unreasonable AMIEU claims". The NT Cattlemen's Association denied such a vote had been taken. The picket received ACTU endorsement on 17 May.