Redundancies still at 190

The Alliance Group Mataura Plant. Photo by Rachael Kelly.
The Alliance Group Mataura Plant. Photo by Rachael Kelly.
The number of redundancies among workers at Alliance Group's Mataura plant is sitting at 190, but that figure could increase to more than 200.

In September, the meat company announced plans to move its sheep-processing facility from Mataura to its sister plant at Lorneville, near Invercargill, affecting 325 jobs.

A total of 260 sheep meatworkers were offered the opportunity to shift to Lorneville.

The company's processing general manager, John Brader, confirmed yesterday 128 did not want to transfer, while 135 sought transfers. Replies had not been received from 64 employees and those would be followed up, he said.

The future of 65 management, supervisors, engineers and administrators had been under a cloud. While 11 of those had expressed interest in transferring, only three were able to be placed, he said.

Mr Brader, who did not want to comment on the cost of the redundancies, said the first chain at Lorneville was due to start tomorrow and it was hoped to have all chains operating by early to mid-December.

Beef processing at Mataura was not affected by the proposal. It began late last month on a day shift and was expected to have a day shift and a night shift operating by the second week of December.

The company had been working with the Meat Workers Union through the restructuring process and it had gone "very well", Mr Brader said.

 

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