Anne Hardie and Sara Hollyman
Many skilled, dedicated workers have “committed a hell of a lot of their lives” to the Eves Valley sawmill and a union representative says they will be in a state of shock as they contemplate their future.
E tū union team leader Finn O’Dwyer-Cunliffe says it was a tough day for employees when they were informed about the potential closure of the site last week.
Carter Holt Harvey told the mill’s 142 staff last week about plans to consolidate its operations to Kawerau in Bay of Plenty.
“There are some strong characters there and they all need time to reflect and consider what this means for their futures and their families’ futures if the proposal is to go ahead, and how it might impact them and their communities. It’s all just a state of immediate shock but they will all be turning their minds towards how they can influence the process in the next couple of weeks and also what the future holds beyond CHH if the proposal is to go ahead.”
One worker, who asked not to be named, says they know “full well” it’s shutting down, and he couldn’t function for a day or two after hearing the news.
“Everybody in Nelson has probably got a Carters story of when they, or someone they know, worked here. It’s been a been a big part of the region for many years. I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault. Carters have decided their Kawerau site is more efficient, so good on them. It’s probably just smart business and it’s just the way it goes.”
He says, a big part of the disappointment is that Carters have been so good to work for.
“I thought I’d be just another number, but in fact, this is the best I’ve ever been looked after.”
He says, for some of the workers, redundancy is a “golden handshake” that will kick-off their retirement. But, with a mortgage to pay, he is already on the hunt for employment.
“It’s very hard, there’s not a lot out there, I’ve got a qualification, but some won’t have. I’m 49, so the older you get the harder it is.”
Maria Hemara told RNZ she has worked as a general hand at the sawmill for the past six years and said its potential closure was a shock that left her feeling like she was in a slow-motion movie.
“It’s life-changing and unsettling, it’s bewildering, really, to be faced with this.”
She had thought it was a job she would remain in for the rest of her life.
“A lot of us are, like, this is sweet, we’re going to keep doing this, everybody needs timber... my personal thought was this is a good job to be in, I’m set until I retire.”
“This is a really significant time for the workers, and they’ll need time to process things and figure out next steps, both individually and collectively,” Finn says.
He says there has been uncertainty at the site and a number of changes over the past couple of years, but the news was still a shock for the 142 employees, and they were “pretty gutted”.
The site had just been through a full structure weeks before the proposal was announced.
“These kinds of things obviously do lead to rumours but that doesn’t take away from the level of shock that you get in a situation where over 100 employees are being informed that they may not have their jobs in the coming months if this proposal is to go ahead.”
Though CHH management told staff the decision to close was subject to consultation, Finn says it can be difficult to change plans for something this significant.
If CHH continues with its plan to close the site, he says the union will be working with management on options for employees losing their jobs, such as redeployment within the company or the wider industry.
However, it was too early in the process to know what opportunities existed. Eves Valley is a multi-faceted site, manufacturing timber, and Finn says employees perform many different functions which just adds to the level of skills that would be lost to the region if the mill closes.
“There are workers who are embedded in the wider community and have made a big impact on, not just for the benefit of the company but the benefit of the wider region really. It’s very sad if this was to go ahead - the level of flow-on effects that it could have.”
