Bremworth cuts 15 jobs at Whanganui plant, night shift retained

Wool carpet maker Bremworth is cutting 15 staff from its Whanganui plant, citing the "current recessionary economic environment". Photo / NZME

Wool carpet maker Bremworth has disestablished 15 roles at its Whanganui plant, lessening the blow of its original proposal to cut the entire night shift.

New Bremworth chief executive Craig Woolford said the majority of impacted employees opted to take voluntary redundancy.

In March, a proposal seen by the Whanganui Chronicle planned to cut 47 staff across the business, including 20 from Whanganui.

The cuts included 13 salaried positions in New Zealand and Australia, and 34 positions in the manufacturing and warehouse facilities.

The job cuts across the whole company have not yet been finalised.

A board coup in March led to a change in directors at Bremworth with former Silver Fern Farms chairman Rob Hewett made the new head of the board.

Chief executive Greg Smith stepped down last week after four years leading the business and has been replaced by Woolford.

Woolford said the company’s new board of directors had reviewed the original proposal for Whanganui.

“This has now been scaled back, allowing us to retain a number of the roles initially considered for disestablishment.

“While this is a difficult process for those staff involved and our wider team, it has been a necessary step to ensure the company’s future stability and long-term growth.”

Workers First Union organiser Kaye Hearfield said 12 staff members had sought voluntary redundancy, and three were cut.

It was positive that five workers got to keep their jobs after the proposal had been relooked at, she said.

“They were relieved, they had been hanging on and hanging on ... now they can get on with their lives,” Hearfield said.

“There was a lot of anxiety and stress waiting for that confirmation.”

She said one Whanganui worker, who would have been with the company for 36 years in May, opted to take voluntary redundancy as “he wanted to go out on his terms”.

Woolford said the company had offered staff full entitlements in addition to counselling.

The consultation process had been entered into with staff at the Whanganui facility in response to the “current recessionary economic environment”, as the company sought to reduce costs and safeguard its long-term future, he said.

The Whanganui plant will retain its night shift with eight staff instead of the previous 17 workers. The new shift will commence on April 28.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.