Newspaper Article 1987 – 50 more Whakatu staff to go

50 more Whakatu staff go

Supervisors and salaried staff were among the 50 employees at the former Whakatu freezing works who were made redundant today.

Only 14 Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Meat Company staff will remain on the payroll tomorrow when the new Whakatu plant manager, Weddel Crown’s Mr Andrew Watt, takes over.

The two HBFMC flags that have fluttered over the giant works were to be lowered for the last time this afternoon, at a ceremony watched by the staff who stayed on after the freezing works closed last October.

Many of the 50 who were laid off today had expected to stay on under Weddel Crown.

The redundancy line-up today included plumber Mr John Pulford, who had been with the firm for 41 years.

A maintenance worker who also finished today said he and his colleagues only learned on Monday that their time had come.

“It was a shock, and it doesn’t make sense,” he complained.

The man said D-day had finally arrived, after 12 months in which staff had been led to believe they would have jobs under the new owners.