The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Silver Fern Farms decision simply confirmed what most had suspected for several years

By Sue Newman
Other·
17 May, 2017 09:11 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Silver Fern Farms Fairton workers might not have liked the outcome of their meeting tonight, but many said they now had certainty - even if it was being unemployed. Photo / File

Silver Fern Farms Fairton workers might not have liked the outcome of their meeting tonight, but many said they now had certainty - even if it was being unemployed. Photo / File

They arrived grim-faced, fearing the worst but hoping for the best; one hour later more than 300 meat industry employees walked out of Ashburton's Sinclair Centre knowing they were out of a job.

That Silver Fern's Fairton plant was closing came as no surprise to most and when the announcement was made there was barely a ripple in the backed hall. The words "Silver Fern Farms is planning to close its Fairton sheep meat process plant" simply confirmed what most had suspected for several years.

"At least now we know," many said.

Employees left the hall singly, in pairs and then in a flood clutching papers marked confidential.

The walked into a media scrum and while some simply bowed their heads and walked away, most were happy to talk about what for many will now be a jobless future.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Some, realising their future as meat workers was under threat, had other jobs in the pipeline, others simply shrugged their shoulders and said - " I guess I'll have to start looking for a job ..."

Some shook their heads in disbelief but most were resigned or relieved. They might not have liked the outcome but many said they now had certainty - even if it was being unemployed.

"It's been a long time coming, we're all gone," one man said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We're done and dusted."

The company has called a second meeting in two weeks saying that period allowed employees to come up with options and ideas. Staff weren't buying that. Their jobs were gone, and apart from a handful of staff working the pelt house, those jobs wouldn't be coming back.

And for some of the company's long serving employees, there was also something to celebrate about the decision to close the plant.

"A lot of people only stayed there because of the redundancy; for the last five years this has been in the wind," one said.

Discover more

Business

370 jobs at stake at Silver Fern Farms

17 May 02:17 AM
Business

SFF closes plant, 370 jobs gone

31 May 04:18 AM

The mood in the meeting was surprisingly calm, another said. People listened and showed little reaction to the closure news.

"Everyone knew the meeting was about closing the plant but there were some pretty sad faces in there."

A question was asked by an employee about providing finance for staff to retrain. The answer wasn't yes, but it certainly wasn't a no. He believes they'll consider this option.

While Silver Fern has suggested more than 230 jobs could be available at its Belfast, Pareora or Hokitika plants, most had just one reaction - " we don't want to travel; we'll be looking at jobs around Ashburton."

And among the younger staff, there were plenty of hugs of support and a feeling of solidarity. There were no tears.

- The Ashburton Guardian

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Town meets country' in 'absolutely brilliant' night

The Country

Commerce Commission dismisses farmers' complaint against banks

The Country

'Classrooms are so peaceful': School embraces wool carpet


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Town meets country' in 'absolutely brilliant' night
The Country

'Town meets country' in 'absolutely brilliant' night

Heart, passion, contribution recognised as five receive association life memberships

21 Jul 04:33 AM
Commerce Commission dismisses farmers' complaint against banks
The Country

Commerce Commission dismisses farmers' complaint against banks

21 Jul 04:29 AM
'Classrooms are so peaceful': School embraces wool carpet
The Country

'Classrooms are so peaceful': School embraces wool carpet

21 Jul 03:42 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP