The Mars family have said they want to close Whanganui's Mars Petcare and move production to Thailand. Photo / File
The proposed closure of Whanganui's Mars Petcare is a shock to staff and union organisers after recent investment and years of discussion about how to use it to full capacity.
About 70 of the factory's 152 staff are members of the union and they are not happy to hear that
Mars proposes to close the factory completely at the end of next year, Manufacturing and Construction Workers' Union general secretary George Larkins says.
The E tū union also has a few members at Mars Petcare.
The factory has struggled to put enough product through to make its four shifts worthwhile, Larkins said. Changing to three shifts was being discussed, and people had been trying to resolve the matter for years.
The problem has been that the parent company isn't giving Whanganui enough work, the union believes.
