Key action needed for Key closure in Key electorate

The National Distribution Union is challenging Prime Minister John Key and NZ corporate giant Fletcher Building to take proactive action to deal with the 41 jobs lost as a result of the decision of Fletchers to close its Kumeu mill in the PM’s Helensville electorate.

“This morning’s announcement of Fletcher Laminates to close its Kumeu site is a major blow to the workers and the local community,” says Robert Reid, President of the National Distribution Union, speaking from Kumeu.

The company made the announcement to workers and the union at a meeting it called at the Kumeu Community Centre at 8.30 am this morning. The closure follows the layoff of around 20 workers from the mill at the end of last year. A few years ago the mill employed over 100 people.

“While the announcement was not unexpected, given that Fletchers had made an announcement to the stock exchange on 5 June that it was considering closing the mill, it always comes as a shock when workers hear the actual words being said.

“Only a month ago our union had to address the receivership and redundancies at LWR Ltd, where John Key had worked as a student. Now we have the closure of a key factory in John Key’s own electorate.

“Yesterday, the Prime Minister was quoted as being “upbeat” at the 2,000 jobs that he said would be created from the Government’s $323 million home insulation scheme. One of the major beneficiaries of this will be Fletcher Building which produces insulation products.

“Why can’t Fletchers turn its Kumeu mill into a factory manufacturing the extra insulation that is needed for the Government insulation project?” says Robert Reid.

“And why can’t John Key see that they do. Jobs are desperately needed in his own electorate?”

The NDU is liaising with the Ministry of Social Development to ensure the full services of WINZ are available to all redundant staff. It is also asking Fletchers to free up the time of the senior union delegate at the mill to enable him to coordinate the redundancy support services for the affected workers.

“It is the policy of the NDU to provide the maximum support possible to members made redundant. However the wave of closures and redundancies that we are currently facing is severely stretching us,” says Robert Reid.

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