Workscorp to axe at least 48 jobs

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 1

Workscorp to axe at least 48 jobs

By

CULLEN SMITH

At least 48 Canterbury staff of the Works and Development Services Corporation will lose their jobs in phased lay-offs starting from Friday. • Citing the loss of irrigation contracts and a downturn in the heavy engineering and construction trades, Workscorp has initiated redundancies to counter a fall-off in business.

Thirteen irrigation workers from Waiau to Lyndhurst and five staff from Workscorp’s Sockburn complex will be among the first to go on Friday. Others will go after mutual arrangements between staff and Workscorp management. , The 48 staff are members of the Public Service Association and are covered by a redundancy agreement. Workscorp has also served notice of redundancy on the Workers’ LJnion, a union spokesman confirmed yesterday. The acting regional secretary of the P.S.A., Mr Phil Butler, said the irrigation workers — some of whom had been with the former Ministry of Works and Development for 30 years — were being

axed because farmers intended to run the schemes themselves. Workscorp lost the contracts and farmers had engaged consultants to develop their own management systems. .

Mr Butler said there was a chance some irrigation workers would be offered jobs. Positions had already been advertised. Six people, including three apprentices, will go from the Sockburn steel fabrication plant and seven from the Plant Maintenance Division at Sockburn.

One bridging worker will lose his job, as will a tea attendant at Sockburn.

Sixteen staff from Workscorp’s Christchurch consultancy business have been made redundant, plus three from the Property Services Division. Mr Butler said the P.S.A. was angered by the lay-offs. “The union is sick and tired of the constant stream of redundancies in the State sector. There doesn’t appear to be an end to it. “Experienced and loyal workers are joining the growing list of unemployed,” he said. Workscorp management in Christchurch and Wellington were unavailable for comment.