Wire workers face job loss
Manufacturing in difficult position - union
Workers at a wire plant in Auckland face redundancy because of a high New Zealand dollar, a weakening rural economy,
competition from cheap foreign wire and the power crisis.
Fletcher Building-owned Pacific Steel today told workers at its wire mill in Manukau that it would cut production from
seven days a week to five, effectively dropping one shift.
Ninety people work in the plant. The exact number to be laid off will be announced next week.
EPMU national secretary Andrew Little says that the case highlights the difficult conditions facing New Zealand
manufacturing.
“Businesses may be able to withstand one or two factors going awry, but not a whole range of factors against them,” he
said. “We mightn’t be able to control the strength of the dollar, but we should have been able to prevent the power
crisis.”
Yesterday, Pilkington Automotive announced that it would, as foreshadowed, close its Lower Hutt factory with the loss of
130 jobs. The company, which produces windscreens and other glass automotive components, blames the closure on the high
New Zealand dollar and cheap imports.
“Lower Hutt is also facing the possibility of the Griffins biscuit factory closing and production moving to Australia,”
Mr Little said.
“We cannot continue to allow our manufacturing base to be eroded. We must ensure that we do all we can to get the
conditions right for manufacturing, such as having a reliable, affordable power supply and transport infrastructure.”