By CATHY ARONSON
An Auckland factory's move could be good news for Hamilton's job market but bad news for the existing workforce.
Within the next 15 months the Dairy Board subsidiary Sachet Packing Ltd, in Penrose, will relocate and centralise its services in an existing Hamilton packing plant, Canpac International.
The 207 workers have the option of relocation or redundancy.
Neville Martin, of Sachet Packing, said about 50 jobs would go because the move would coincide with new purpose-built equipment and reduce the need for staff. If the rest of the staff did not want to move, it would create more jobs in Hamilton.
"There will be fewer positions but many will not want to relocate.
"But it is a long way down the track and we have offered many different options to help the transition."
Mr Martin said some staff had been at the plant since it opened in 1979. Others had been there only a year.
The staff would be offered help with relocation, career counselling, budgeting advice and retraining.
He said the new equipment would improve efficiency and would have meant fewer positions, regardless of the move.
Dairy Workers Union representative Mark Apiata-Wade was not available for comment yesterday.
Factory move shakes up jobs
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