warned of job losses

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 1

warned of job losses

Footwear workers for the Christchurch company, M. O’Brien, Ltd, felt the effects of the company’s predicted $1.35 million loss two weeks ago when 17 workers were made redundant.

The national secretary of the Footwear Workers’ Union, Mr Toby Jordan, said the redundancies affected people who had been working for the company for less than six months.

“It was a last-on, first-off move,” he said. Those who were made redundant either worked at a small Dalgety Street sewing room, which was closed, or at the main Wairakei Road factory. Some of the Dalgety Street workers were absorbed into the main factory. Mr Jordan said the company had given him three weeks warning of the redundancies. He did not believe there would be any more. “The company has been fairly responsible over the whole matter,” he said. Redundancy pay was given to the 17 workers. There had been little reaction from the workers, as they had all been aware of the problems in the industry, Mr Jordan said. A downturn in the industry in recent months also resulted in 24 redundancies at Skellerup about two months ago. Mr Jordan said the industry could not compete with imports from developing countries and that its survival depended on a level of protection. The union has sent submissions along these lines to the Government board which is conducting an overview of the footwear industry.