Chch workers protest at being ‘sold’

Press, 4 March 1987, Page 9

Chch workers protest at being ‘sold’

Clothing workers employed by the Christchurch Clothing Company stood in rain to picket the company’s Bedford Row premises yesterday in protest against being “sold" to another company.

They had been told at short notice that the machining section, employing 20 workers, had been sold to a Hazeldean Road firm, and would move at the end of this week. All the machinists were offered work with the new employer, but were

told that they would be out of a job if they did not want to go or were unable to, said a Clothing Trades Union organiser, Ms Brenda Cosner. They were seeking redundancy pay. for those unwilling or unable to shift, and a relocation allowance for those who could.

The managing director,

Mr Ray Hampton, said that there were no job losses, and all accrued

service benefits would be preserved in the change. There was, therefore, no legal basis for a redundancy claim. The union was giving the staff “very poor advice,” he said.

Mr Hampton said that the relocation claim should be taken up with the new employer, Odenberg Industries. Odenberg Industries is a Dunedin-based manufacturer which exports all its products to the United States. It has bought and refurbished a disused factory in Hazeldean Road as a Christchurch base.

Mr Hampton said three other firms had sold sections of their business and all bad relocated without any trouble. “I was the only one who extended to the union the courtesy of letting them know in advance," he said.

“To me this is a very strange way of welcoming a new company to the area.”