All options are still on the table for Whakatāne Mill, says East Coast MP Kiri Allan following meetings with unions, staff, and the leadership board.
Following last week’s announcement the Whakatane Mill will be closing, Labour MPs Tamati Coffey, Kiri Allan and Stuart Nash (not pictured) have held meetings to see what can be done to save the 210 jobs on the line. Photo: SUPPLIED
The Whakatāne community was shocked last week when more than 200 staff were presented with a proposal to close the mill, which will see them all made redundant by the end of June.
The mill has been an intergenerational employer in Whakatāne for more than 80 years and produces paper and packaging products.
Over the weekend, Allan, Minister for Forestry, and Economic and Regional Development Stuart Nash, and Labour MP Tamati Coffey met with mill leaders to see if anything could be done to save the struggling business.
Yesterday, Allan met with the workers and their unions, E tū and First Union.
She said a lot of the employees, particularly young people just starting out, were feeling a lot of stress and uncertainty.
"Many were shocked to hear the news; they didn't even know the mill was for sale," Allan said.
"They are worried about mortgages and many have just begun to start families and are the main breadwinner, so there is a lot of stress about that.
"For the older guys who have been through redundancies before, they are focused on making sure the process goes as smoothly as possible. There are a lot of wise heads down there; they have a tight-knit workforce, and they are wanting to look out for each other."
Estimates are that, beyond the 210 direct employees, there are also up to 100 direct contractors and many other businesses that support them indirectly.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited the mill during the election campaign Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Following the discussions with stakeholders, Allan has identified several workstreams. These are investigating other options for the mill to remain open, supporting employees, investigating other employment sources for the employees and looking at issues the industry is facing as a whole.
Discussions have also been had with the mayors of Whakatāne and Kawerau, iwi entities, and other potential employers.
Allan would not go into detail about what products the mill could potentially pivot towards producing, however, many in Whakatāne have suggested sustainable packaging as an option.
While talks occur about how to keep the mill open, unions will be looking at how to support workers and how the government can best help with that.
Allan said this could take the form of financial, emotional, or skills and training support through gvernment agencies.
She also said it was important to ensure the families of affected employees also received emotional support.
Going forward, weekly discussions will be held with all stakeholders as work is done to determine what viable options there are for the mill.
"All options are on the table," she said.
Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ On Air.