Hillside jobs could have been saved

CTU Media Release

15 November 2012

Hillside jobs could have been saved

Peter Conway CTU Secretary says the announcement today of job losses at Hillside is a travesty of neglect and missed opportunities.

Peter Conway says “neither the Government nor KiwiRail have supported these workers and the fantastic work they do – they have failed to effectively bid for major contracts for new trains in Auckland and replacement flat top wagons, they have let the workers down.”

“The 2011 BERL study of the impacts of building Auckland rolling stock locally showed clearly how communities, jobs, skills, industry potential and government revenue can benefit from a broader view of what makes a good procurement decision.”

“The Government needs to review its procurement policies so that New Zealand firms get a fair chance to bid for major manufacturing projects. This should include robust industry participation agreements for example, which would ensure major projects such as these trains and wagons are not entirely sourced off shore.”

“These workers have been badly let down by KiwiRail and the Government,” said Peter Conway.

ENDS

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