That was the bitter reaction of one worker to the news Tamahine Apparel Solutions was closing its Dunedin factory, with the loss of 50 jobs.
The company manufactures top-quality knitwear from New Zealand wool in its Dunedin factory in Kaikorai Valley where it has been based for 38 years.
Staff spoken to by the Otago Daily Times declined to be named but said the news was a blow for workers.
They estimated about half of the staff had young families and the remainder were middle-aged.
‘‘It's just one of those things,'' said one worker, who had been at Tamahine for at least 25 years.
‘‘The market is pretty tough out there for New Zealand-made product,'' said another.
When management delivered the bad news to staff at 11.45am, it was not completely unexpected, they said.
Although there had been no rumours about the factory shutting, staff said they did have an inkling about what might be coming when the meeting was called.
Some staff were feeling positive about finding other work, while others were not sure what they would do.
Work and Income southern regional director Sue Rissman said her department would work closely with Tamahine management to minimise the impact of the redundancies.
Work and Income would give a presentation to staff next week about services they could offer, including financial support and job training, and promote employment opportunities for the staff each week.
The factory will close on July 4.
