No news for KiwiRail staff

Kiwirail's 45 infrastructure and engineering staff in Dunedin are yet to be told whether their jobs will remain, as the state-owned enterprise considers cutting up to 220 jobs by October.

Employees of the KiwiRail division were in the firing line, as the firm looked to save $14 million.

Even more jobs could be cut by KiwiRail next year.

Infrastructure and engineering general manager Rick van Barneveld said consultation in respect of proposed job losses had just begun.

"No decisions have been made, including where these [job reductions] might be made at this stage. As such, it would be inappropriate to speculate on the impact on Dunedin staff alone," he said.

Mr van Barneveld said KiwiRail hoped to be in a position to talk to staff about the next steps of the proposal in coming weeks.

No further information about what it could mean for KiwiRail's track workers, including those in Dunedin, was available at this stage.

South Dunedin's Hillside Engineering workshops, which employed about 120 people, were not affected by these potential job losses.

But its workers also remained anxious about potential unemployment as the facility was tendered for sale.

A sale decision was expected to be made in the next month, after which employees would learn their fate.

Rail and Maritime Transport Union concerns about KiwiRail's proposed cutbacks were reiterated in a press statement this week.

Union general secretary Wayne Butson said rail staff were becoming increasingly concerned about the state of tracks, and whether adequate maintenance would be possible with fewer workers.

- rosie.manins@odt.co.nz

 

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