KiwiRail offering voluntary redundancy to all its staff is hugely concerning given the future of New Zealand’s rail system is under threat.

KiwiRail employs 4,500 people and has staff in more than 50 towns and cities across the country.

“These are skilled workers who contribute a lot to the New Zealand economy and make sure freight and passengers move around safely,” Labour’s state-owned enterprises spokesperson Arena Williams said.

“It was revealed last week that more than 50 roles at the Interislander ferries were going, and now we hear all staff are going to be offered redundancy as of Monday.

“I am especially concerned about the timing of this. There is already huge uncertainty around the future of the essential rail connection across the Cook Strait, following Nicola Willis’ decision to cancel the rail-enabled ferries.

“Labour had a plan for new ferries, because the current ones will need significant maintenance to serve their critical role in connecting the North and South Islands.

“Cutting maintenance and engineering jobs, when you have no plan for new ferries and are relying on the old ones, is adding fuel to the fire and will only mean ferries that break down more often and put passenger and crew safety at risk.

“Freight companies are worried too. They are unsure if their journeys will go ahead, and there is growing concern about stock arriving on time, safely.

“A year on, there is still no plan from the government to replace the ageing ferries and even less certainty for staff and the public,” Arena Williams said.

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