Hillside

Dunedin's city leaders have officially put up a unified front to do whatever it takes to smoothly roll through the sale of Hillside Engineering.

Hillside is to be sold. While it is heartening to observe the optimism at the news emanating from parties connected to, and associated with, the long-standing South Dunedin heavy engineering business, only time will tell whether there is any realistic basis for it; and whether, several months hence, the 123 or so remaining skilled staff will still have employment, and Dunedin a potentially key operation in its cluster of remaining engineering companies.

Despite KiwiRail seeking expressions of interest for the sale of Dunedin's Hillside Engineering, the city's business community and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union are confident Hillside can survive.

KiwiRail is seeking expressions of interest for the sale of Dunedin's Hillside Workshops.

A petition to save Hillside jobs has been rejected by a parliamentary select committee.

KiwiRail's controversial decision to have its new freight wagons made in China may have backfired.

Kiwirail is seeking to rehire six rail engineers to work at its Hillside Workshops in South Dunedin on fixed-term contracts.

Labour leader Phil Goff was in heartland territory yesterday as he visited the Hillside Engineering workshops in South Dunedin.

Workplace relations at Hillside Engineering appear to have soured further after workers passed a vote of no confidence in their KiwiRail managers at a union meeting yesterday morning.

Workers at Dunedin's Hillside Engineering workshops hope to benefit from a Spanish company's $500 million deal to build electric trains for Auckland.