Figures confirm concerns about wood processing industry

Media Release: National Distribution Union
Tuesday September 13, 2011.

Figures confirm union concerns about wood processing industry

A union representing wood processing workers says concerns it expressed last week about the state of the wood industry have been confirmed by manufacturing figures out today.

Statistics New Zealand’s manufacturing survey reports a 0.8 per cent decline in the volume of wood and paper product manufacturing sales in the June 2011 quarter. The sector has declined three out of the past four quarters.

Despite upbeat talk at an industry conference in Rotorua last week, the NDU voiced concern that production was declining, sawmills were closing and workers were losing jobs.

NDU General Secretary Robert Reid said that the union was dealing regularly with wood processing job losses, including several in recent weeks in Kawerau, Tangiwai and Fielding, and was aware of closures and reduced hours in other areas.

Robert Reid said government action was needed to stop the wood processing industry declining further.

“Once again, we ask the Minister of Forestry what action he is taking to ensure the survival of the wood processing industry, and that New Zealand has enough wood processing capacity to fill the demand which will come from the Canterbury rebuild over the next few years,” he said.

“It is no good to hope and wait for local timber to be used in the Canterbury rebuild, if there are no processors left to manufacture the wood required.”

Robert Reid said the union, which also represented textile workers, was also worried with today’s figures for textile, leather, clothing and footwear manufacturing, which has also been in decline three out of the past four quarters, and was down 2.2 per cent in the June quarter.

“We are concerned about what affect this may have on workers in the textiles sector over the next few months, at a time when New Zealand carpet manufacturers should also be increasing production to meet the demand from the Canterbury rebuild,” Robert Reid said.

ENDS

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