Whiteware manufacturer Fisher and Paykel Appliances yesterday said it called for voluntary redundancies at its Mosgiel manufacturing plant on Tuesday.
The company last Friday announced 28 workers would be laid off from the plant's cooking appliance and dishwasher production sections.
When contacted yesterday, vice-president of public relations Paul Brockett declined to comment on the number of people who had volunteered to take redundancy, but said it was fewer than the rumoured 80.
When asked about the process used to decide which staff would be retained, Mr Brockett said managers would decide which workers would be made redundant, and would use a ballot or other means of random selection.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union organiser Mike Kirwood said the company had indicated it would inform workers of redundancies on Monday.
The union had been in negotiations with the company over the redundancies for two weeks because of a consultation clause in the workers agreement, he said.
Mr Kirwood said the ‘‘mood had been a bit sombre at the plant'' in recent weeks. ‘‘I guess staff were aware that something had to give,'' he said.
Although he had not talked to workers about their reasons for offering to take voluntary redundancy, he said retirement, lifestyle change and the lure of higher paying jobs in Australia might have been factors in their decision.
The union represents about 400 workers (of about 600) at the Mosgiel plant.
