Union representatives say a Northland employment dispute is "one of the worst cases of corporate bullying" they have seen.
Around 27 Fullers Bay of Islands employees have been told they will no longer have jobs if InterCity Holdings' plan to restructure the business goes through.
Staff, union members, management and a mediator met in Paihia yesterday to attempt to resolve the dispute between workers and management but no decision had been made at the time of publication.
National Distribution Union secretary Laila Harr? flew in to assist the disgruntled maritime workers in their fight to hold on to their jobs.
"This is one of the worst cases of corporate bullying we have seen in a long time.
"These workers have been treated incredibly shabbily by their employers. Fullers Bay of Islands have some of the best qualified and most experienced maritime workers in New Zealand," Mrs Harr? said.
Chief executive of InterCity Malcolm Johns said he felt the company had been open and honest with the employees about the need to restructure.
"We are in difficult times. The Bay of Islands is not immune to this," he said.
The employees and NDU said they believed that InterCity terminating their contracts was illegal.
"We want to sort it out through negotiation, not litigation. But we are not afraid of that if it comes to it," Mrs Harr? said.
"We all know fuel prices are rising but we also know that the company can afford it."
Labour department mediator Judith Scott attended the meeting at the Maritime building to help sort through the proposed restructuring that would put 27 maritime employees out of work.
Mr Johns said the company was in a period of consultation with Fullers' employees and was not prepared to discuss it publicly.
"Our first priority at this time remains trying to progress the consultation in a timely manner so that we are able to provide certainty to our employees and to our stakeholders," he said.
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