PPSC announces closure

Workers at PPCS's Oringi plant near Dannevirke are in shock after the company announced its intention to close the plant which employs nearly five hundred workers.

While the site is predominantly unionised by the Meat Workers Union the EPMU represents the plant's fitters and electricians and is engaging in the consultation process following the announcement.

EPMU organiser Ramona Edwards-Mare says members are devastated by the announcement. "Most of our members are over forty-five and there are only one-hundred redeployment positions so everyone is worried about what will happen."

"The sad thing is that unless something miraculous happens the plant will close," says Edwards-Mare, "at this stage we're really consulting with the company to get the best exit possible for workers."

"The guys have a pretty good redundancy package," she says, "but the next nearest works is a forty-five minute drive away and this is a lot of jobs to see go all at once in a pretty small community."

The consultation group will consist of MWU & EPMU representatives along with company management and will work through staff's question's with answers fed back to them.

A shed-meeting is confirmed on Monday 26th May with union officials & members and an all up meeting with the company, union officials and staff on Tuesday 27th May @ 10.30am for a final decision

On Monday PPCS announced a similar proposal to close its plant in Burnside, near Dunedin at a cost of 138 jobs.