Former Richmond Meats Hastings workers are hopeful they will get their jobs back - as well as their lost wages - but the Richmond Meats workers of Waipukurau are less optimistic.
A former employee of the Maraekakaho Rd butchers in Stortford Lodge in Hastings, Peter Cayless, said there was a meetingscheduled this week with the new owners.
"It is all sounding pretty promising but who knows," he said.
Mr Cayless and 19 other workers were told to take a two-week holiday until the new owners took possession on April 4.
Creditors were told the new owners would take possession on April 11.
Assistant manager Cissy Morrell said staff were reluctant to resign their positions because of redundancy clauses in their employment contracts from when the business was owned by Silver Fern Farms.
Former Team NZ America's Cup lawyer Russell Green bought the building and the business in August 2010.
He also bought the building that housed Richmond Meats (Waipukurau) from Silver Fern Farms but sold the butcher shop to Michael McHannigan of McHannigan Contracting in October.
Silver Fern Farms has issued a public declaration distancing itself from Richmond Meats.
Three men seized meat from the Waipukurau store, precipitating its closure.
The four Waipukurau workers say they were owed holiday pay and Kiwisaver contributions.
Mr McHannigan said he had "had enough" of the business and his hands were tied to help his workers.
"There's not much I can do at the moment, I'm in the same boat as them, in limbo until the lawyers sort it out," he said.
Service and Food Workers union representative Thomas O'Neil said it was a complicated legal matter at both stores.
"When it comes to limited liability companies like this we have limited ability to claim wages and holiday pay under the legal system."
