F&P denies staff cuts and Thai out-sourcing

Fisher & Paykel Appliances plans to enlist the help of celebrities such as cricketer Stephen Fleming to establish its brand in Delhi. Photo / Richard Robinson

Fisher & Paykel are denying that 29 of its workers have been made redundant to shift its fridge production line to Thailand.

The Engineering Printing & Manufacturing Union sent out a press release today saying 29 workers had been told yesterday that they were being made redundant.

They were told one of the company's fridge production lines was being discontinued in Auckland and was being sent to the company's Thailand factory, the union said.

But Fisher & Paykel chief executive Stuart Broadhurst said the release was factually incorrect.

"I can tell you everything the union have printed and commentary about Thailand is factually incorrect.''

When asked if 29 workers had lost their jobs, Mr Broadhurst said "no, there's not been a production line shut down, there's been no changes to our staff in the last six weeks, so all of this and particularly the comments around Thailand are just a work in progress.''

He said there had not been a meeting yesterday, but there was an annual wage negotiation union meeting on Tuesday.

The last announcement to staff changes was made in June, he said.