ELECTROLUX will lose 28 jobs off the factory floor as part of natural attrition but the decision not to replace the employees has at least one factory worker concerned about his future.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The worker, who declined to be named, said staff had been told no more casuals would be hired until 28 employees left the company.
“They’re not offering redundancies and they said they’re not going to tap anyone on the shoulder,” he said.
“But there is stuff they’re not telling us.
“I’m worried about the state of the factory. I have a son and a family to support and they keep bringing out bad news.”
Electrolux corporate communications consultant Craig McCarthy downplayed the changes and blamed it on the increasing automated processes used at the factory.
“Thirty years ago robotics were just a glimmer in some R and D [research and development] engineer’s eye, now they’re reality,” he said.
“Electrolux has a global policy of constant improvement and this is part of that.
“It’s not unusual at all, it happens in all the Electrolux factories around the world.”
The employee said he was concerned the remaining workers would have to pick up the slack.
“There was five people in maintenance and they’ve dropped one of them,” he said.
“There’s 600 people out there, 28 people might not be a big amount but it’s still a worry.”
But Mr McCarthy said losing staff through natural attrition was a regular occurrence.
“There’s no way any maintenance or safety would be compromised,” he said.
The worker said production at the company had been forced to be more cost-productive compared to China and Thailand.
“I guess one way to save money is to lose workers,” he said.
Mr McCarthy said the plant’s manager Mark O’Kane was attempting to put the factory in the best possible position as part of a six-month investment study started in February, but the job losses would have happened anyway.
He said less manufacturing processes were occurring at the factory as more components arrived assembled.
clare.colley@fairfaxmedia.com.au