Lumbercube workers have had their worst fears confirmed - all 71 jobs at the mill have gone. Photo/File
Lumbercube workers have had their worst fears confirmed - all 71 jobs at the mill have gone. Photo/File
Lumbercube workers have had their worst fears confirmed - all 71 jobs at the mill have gone.
The company says it has identified up to 100 job vacancies in and around Rotorua and will next week hold a job fair to bring its former workers together with major forestry employers.
However a union representative says workers are still angry and want answers.
Following last week's closure of the Vaughan Rd mill, its management yesterday held a meeting with staff and the E Tu union during which it confirmed all jobs were gone but that it had identified 300 potential opportunities in the forestry industry.
Gavin Hudson, chief executive of Pedersen Group, said Lumbercube's highest priority was the welfare of its staff.
"We said we would do all we could to support our staff over the coming weeks and we have done that by identifying up to 100 job vacancies within an hour of Rotorua and another 200 job opportunities in the wider forestry industry - we are also working closely with the wider Pedersen Group to identify possible employment opportunities with Pedersen Group over the next 12 months," Mr Hudson said.
"We felt the best thing we could do was to give our Lumbercube workforce the most practical help and what better way to do this than to bring some large forestry employers and our staff together as part of a job fair next week. The job fair will assist those Lumbercube workers who are interested in how to prepare a CV, EAP support if they have a need to work through the emotional aspects of their redundancy, and how to fill out applications for a job opportunity."
Gavin Hudson.
He said it was heartening there were so many potential job vacancies in forestry.
"This is the best we could do to minimise the impact of today's decision on the workforce and their families and allow them alternative job opportunities. We are thankful for the service of the Lumbercube workforce to the mill and we wish them all the best in their transition to new employment."
But E Tu union representative Raymond Wheeler, who represents about 20 staff, said workers were still angry and wanted answers as to why the mill closed so suddenly.
He said there were no redundancy agreements in place for workers and many would soon be struggling to feed their families and pay their mortgages.
Mr Wheeler said the offer of potential jobs was the only positive from yesterday's meeting.
"The [forestry] business community have positively rallied together and made contact with Pedersen's and Pedersen's has made contact with the industry and come back with about 100 jobs within the region."
He said workers were devastated and had hoped for a better deal.
"We hoped they could carry them for six weeks until they got jobs. Families are in shock they still have no explanation."
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said he spoke to Lumbercube management yesterday.
"There are local employers who are ready to interview and employ skilled Lumbercube workers right now. These are vacancies they think they can full quite quickly. Their skills are quite sought after in the industry right now."
Mr McClay said the Ministry of Social Development had also found 10 to 15 placements for workers and was confident it could help more.
