Media Release: National Distribution Union
Monday 17 August 2009
 
More Redundancies At LWR
 
A further 42 workers have been made redundant this afternoon from Lane Walker Rudkin in Christchurch, the National Distribution Union (NDU) said today  This brings the total redundancies at LWR since it went into receivership in mid-May to 228. There are now only 87 workers left at the Christchurch site.
 
“Workers at the Christchurch LWR plant were called to three meetings this afternoon, “says Robert Reid, National Secretary of the NDU.
 
“Around thirty workers were told they had been made redundant at the 3.45 pm meeting, the remaining workers were spoken to at 4.15 pm and the entire twilight shift of about 10 workers were made redundant when they turned up for work at 5.00 pm.  All redundant workers were told that their notice took effect immediately.
 
“The union will offer its redundancy support programme, run by former LWR site delegate, Jack Taylor, to the LWR workers made redundant today.
 
“The receivers have advised that all Christchurch LWR workers, including those made redundant today, would receive their preferential holiday and redundancy pay capped at $16,420,” says Robert Reid.
 
“The union views with concern that the receivers have not made the same statements regarding the payout to redundant workers from LWR’s Wairarapa subsidiary, Bouzaid and Ballaben that has gone into liquidation.
 
“LWR and Bouzaid and Ballaben were run as one company and there should be no discrimination against LWR’s Wairarapa workers,” Robert Reid says.
 
“The union will be making representation to the receivers for Bouzaid and Ballaben workers to receive the same holiday pay and redundancy distributions as the LWR Christchurch workers.
 
“The union also wants to see both the former LWR owners and the Westpac Bank held accountable for this sorry saga,” Robert Reid says.
 
ends

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