Delta on Monday announced plans to axe up to 30 staff from its Dunedin roading and drainage operation as part of an ongoing review, citing continuing tough market conditions.
That prompted one senior Delta worker, based in Dunedin, to contact the Otago Daily Times and voice concerns yesterday.
The worker was not facing redundancy, but would not be named for fear of joining those who were.
He said "a lot" of his Delta colleagues were worried by the job losses and by the company's expansion strategy.
The company rebranded late last year in the next stage of its "growth path", after recording annual revenue of $103.7 million - a $16.7 million increase - and a net profit of $5.4 million, up $2.9 million, in the past year. That followed the company's push in recent years into new markets, including property investments, around the South Island.
However, the worker said this week's proposed redundancies followed job losses announced by Delta earlier this year in Central Otago, and concerns about the value of its property investments in Jacks Point and Luggate, among other activities.
The ODT earlier this month reported Delta was considering a write-down of the value of investments, possibly by as much as $9 million. .
"Everything seems to be not going the way we've been promised and told - that this is a go-ahead company," the worker said yesterday.
"All of a sudden it's crashing down around our ears. What the hell's going on?"
Delta chief executive Grady Cameron declined to be interviewed when asked yesterday to respond to the worker's claims.
He issued a brief statement by email, saying the company was consulting staff over proposed redundancies and "working closely to support them through the consultation process".
"We welcome feedback from our employees and will actively consider any alternative proposals before making a final decision."
However, the worker told the ODT pending job losses raised questions about the value of Delta's management structure.
The company last year had 41 staff earning over $100,000 each year, including one, believed to be Mr Cameron, earning $380,000-$390,000 a year, he said.
"To be honest there's a lot of distrust, and there's no confidence in the way they're running the business," the worker said.
His views won support from Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand (Southern) secretary Calvin Fisher, whose organisation represented 15 of the workers facing redundancy.
"For some considerable time the workers in Dunedin have always expressed their concerns about the endeavours the company has made to go into other regions.
"Their endeavours in other regions have not been that good."
He would meet staff facing redundancy this morning to discuss the details of Delta's redundancy plan, but said morale among the company's Dunedin workers was "low".
