Staff reporter FORMER workers at Feltex's Marton plant may be helped in their search for jobs by a new website. The site was launched in Christchurch yesterday by the National Distribution Union (NDU) and Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and Sleepyhead, the New Zealand company that tried to bid for Feltex. Afterits purchase of Feltex last month, Australian carpet maker Godfrey Hirst announced the closure of factories in Christchurch and Marton as part of its restructuring, with the loss of 189 jobs. In a pilot project, the website www.kiwiskills.co.nz is intended to help find new jobs for the Feltex workers, by matching employers with vacancies to workers with the required skills. It also aims to retain skilled workers in New Zealand. NDU national secretary Laila Harre said the unions would continue to campaign for compensation for the Feltex workers, but most of the workers finished up last week and required "immediate assistance". "Kiwiskills aims in a small way to keep Feltex workers in New Zealand producing quality products, earning a decent income to support their families and communities, and helping New Zealand companies earn a decent income for New Zealand," she said. The Kiwiskills project acknowledged the experience and skill of the Feltex workers and their value to the country.-PA.
