Labour forecast closing of mill

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 2

Labour forecast closing of mill

Wellington reporter ' The proposed closing of the Kaiapo. woollen mills/ has been attacked by the . Opposition. The labour spokesman on h trade and industry (Mr W.j W Freer) has discussed the matter with the Minister of ; Trade and Industry (Mrli Adams Schneider) and i Christchurch Labour mem- i bers of Parliament. "The closing of this mill: is another chapter in the . tragic decline of industry in the South Island.” Mr Freer said. Far too many viable labour-intensive industries had been forced to close because of the reversal of the Labour Government's regional development policies, and because of the exceptionally high freight rates to! North Island markets. ■The trend had gone far enough and something positive had to be done to re-1 store the industrial strength! of the south,” Mr Freer said.' "in the case of the woollen

'mil!, the Government has had plenty of opportunity to. ■take action because the run-i ‘down of the plant will be! extended over the next 18’ j months.” i The Rangiora Labour Elec-i .torate Committee said yesterday that a Labour! ■'Government would not have; alipwed the mill to be’ closed. The planned closing of the mill, making 170 workers re-' dundant, seemed to fulfil a! prediction made by the former Labour member of Par-! liament for Rangiora (Mr K.! Burke) in the last election campaign, that the election! of a National Government! 'would lead to the closing of] ■the mill, said the committee, i The committee pledged its! support for the workers and! the Woollen Workers’ Union in their fight to keep the mill open, and called on the support of the Kaiapoi Borough Council, the memiber of Parliament for Rangt- ; ora (Mr D. F. Quigley) and the people of Kaiapoi.