Stuffed around for 2 years say Feltex Delegate
Workers from the closed Feltex scouring plant in Kakariki are shocked and angry, says site delegate, Joseph Murray.
Workers from the closed Feltex scouring plant in Kakariki are shocked and angry, says site delegate, Joseph Murray.
The 32 plant workers, all members of the Meat Workers Union, from the scouring plant near Marton, went back to work for the last time this morning to pick up their possessions under the watchful eye of security guards.
Site delegate Joseph Murray, 61, a scourer who has worked at the plant for 39 years says that he will most likely move out of Marton within the next 12 months.
"I'm 61 and I've lived here my entire life - Feltex was my second job which I started in 1967 when I was 21," he said. "But there's nothing here for me anymore, my children have all grown up and gone, and now I've lost my job."
"Deep inside I'm angry, but I knew everything was downhill two years ago when I sensed there was something wrong.
"In the 39 years that I've worked here, I've never seen the place run like it was in the last 2 years. Why has the company taken so long to tell us what's happening?
"We've been continually stuffed around. Even yesterday, the receivers were 30 minutes late to the meeting to finally tell us what was happening. When they didn't turn up on time - I knew they were going to shut down the place."
Mr Murry said that although he was nearing retirement, he had many years of work left and wasn't going to sit around.
"I feel bloody sorry for the other guys, especially those who have recently gotten a mortgage. Now where are they going to go? There aren't any jobs in Martin and there's a 10 week WINZ stand down."
Mr Martin said that the workers could receive $15,000 in redundancy from the Godfrey Hirst deal. However, like many of the long term staff before the receivership, he was entitled to a redundancy of up to $35,000 based on his annual earnings. He said that is was a double blow, as his redundancy would have been higher two years ago as his annual earnings had dropped significantly due to the poor board management of Feltex over the past two years.
Representatives of the 750 National Distribution Union and Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union Feltex members visited the worksite today to give them support and condolences.
ENDS
Contact Joseph Murray through Simon Oosterman, National Distribution Union delegate on 021 922 551.
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Re: Stuffed around for 2 years say Feltex Delegate
Its understandable but sad to see workers blaming poor management for some of their losses here. Its not about slack kiwi management or brutal Aussie bankers. Its about who controls production.
What does good management look like? Graeme Hart?
Tell that to the Tuhoe.
Fact is that this industry has been tossed about from NZ to an overseas bank, back to the local stockmarket, and now off to Aussie.
Hirst will treat Aust and NZ as one country as far as business goes. Theyll restructure effectively into one company even if the Feltex brand is retained. Its called concentration and centralisation of capital to survive on the world market. The future of ALL of the Feltex workers is bleak under global capitalism.
The workers need to stop picking and choosing between bosses, all of whom screw them, and occupy the plants to demand that the government comes up with a rescue package that values NZ wool products, keeps their jobs and puts them in control of production.
This is unlikely right now as workers will be hoping that theyre the ones that keep their jobs. Its called divide and fall. But there's hope!
Unemployed miners in Huanuni in Bolivia, blockaded their mine and just won state backing to create 1500 new jobs, fund expansion and put the whole thing under the rank and file control of their union. Mind you these miners negotiate with little sticks of dynamite in their pockets.
Its only a small step but in the right direction.
Dave Brown
Re: Stuffed around for 2 years say Feltex Delegate
Wednesday, 4 October 2006, 10:03 am
Press Release: Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union Unions express concern over Feltex offer.
"The National Distribution Union and The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union are concerned about the possible outcome for Feltex workers after Godfrey Hirst announced its offer for the company today.
The deal would mean the loss of 135 jobs through the total closure of the carpet maker’s Kakariki factory (near Fielding) and a staff reduction of 40% in its Christchurch plant –on lower terms and conditions.
EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little says the implications of the offer are "immensely disappointing."
"Many of our members have been with this company for decades, they’ve been loyal to it, and now they’re facing unemployment. I just hope this isn’t another example of a big Australian company attacking Kiwi workers."
It’s time to do better than the feeble bullshit talk that billows out of offices and clouds every instance of redundacy.
From a worker’s point of view, "Immensely disappointing" doesn’t cut it. Job removals are way beyond "disappointing". As Joseph Murray makes very clear, the sudden deprival of a worker’s job means at the very least the dislocation and sometimes the devastation of a life, or several lives. That sort of assault on workers is undeserved and unfair.
In the present capitalist system, where the mass of people have nothing to sell to keep alive but their ability to work, the sudden removal of a job is the cutting of a lifeline. It’s not possible to bring up kids or have any sort of decent future without a proper job. That’s why there should more indignation and action when workers have their jobs suddenly stolen from them. Particularly from those who are paid by workers to represent their interests.
The word that union leaders need to learn how to say loudly and clearly - and act on - is not "disappointing" but "unacceptable." Corporate job cutting has come to be received by the union movement as some sort of unfortunate act of nature, like a wet cold spell of weather. It would have been nicer if the sun had shone, but as things stand it’s "Disappointing" Oh well, tough, but too bad. Nothing can be done.
Bullshit.
The organisation of production and distribution is only an uncontrollable element like the weather if we accept one crook idea. The idea that the system of private property ownership is natural.
When we’re told that someone’s job is "uneconomic" that always means its "uneconomic" to the boss, not the worker. But why should we just accept that particular throw of the dice as ‘natural’? There is nothing in nature to support the idea of priveliged treatment for the owners of property over those who do the hard work every day.
Neither does the image of "another example of a big Australian company attacking Kiwi workers." stand up to scrutiny. When Andrew Little plays that nationalistic ‘big bad Australian’ card he is just playing to the gallery for effect. That sort of posturing will net workers on either side of the Tasman absolutely nothing. Its not the nationality of the boss that’s the problem; it’s the simple fact of the bosses ownership of the tools we use and the products we make.
It’s not good enough for union officials to say its "disappointing" as they kiss our jobs goodbye. In large measure, our jobs are our lives. We can and we must fight for the retention of each and every one of them.
Don Franks
Re: Re: Stuffed around for 2 years say Feltex Delegate
Fight how?
Re: Stuffed around for 2 years say Feltex Delegate
I agree with the points raised in the 2 above postings.
But can someone explain how a company in 2004 can have a share float of $1.70, (increasing it's value several times in 5 years)& now have shares worth 3cents ?
If the reason for the collapse of Feltex was the $140mil. it owed the ANZ, what were the reasons behind the borrowings ?
Or if the $140mil. was already owing at the time of the &1.70 a share float,how were investors so gullible in buying into a company with a poor earnings to borrowing ratio.
I once read somewhere, 'that it take's 2 years to deliberately collapse a company from within', this certainly look's the case with Feltex.