Ms Jones said the company's decision was disappointing.
"We're just seeing a continuing pattern of manufacturing jobs going offshore," she said.
"It's going to be very hard [for the Bic workers] to find similar work given the state the sector is in. Over the last four years, 40,000 manufacturing jobs have disappeared and we know from experience that many of these workers have ended up in low paid, insecure service jobs."
Ms Jones said the average age of the affected Bic workers was about 50. "They didn't see this coming," she said. "It's obviously very shocking for them."
Bic confirmed its proposal to close its Mt Eden factory.
The company said it would continue other operations in Auckland, including sales, warehousing and logistics.
"We understand this is a difficult time for our staff and apologise for any distress caused," said Peter Travers, general manager of Bic Oceania. "We are committed to supporting our staff throughout this process."
Founded in 1945, Bic is one of the world's most recognisable consumer brands and reported net sales of €1.9 billion ($3.1 billion) last year. In addition to pens, its products include lighters, shavers and stationery.
Bic's New Zealand operation posted total revenue of $20 million for the 12 months to December 31, 2012, down from $21 million in the previous year, according to its latest financial statements lodged with the Companies Office. Profit fell to $979,036 last year from $1.6 million in 2011.
19 jobs likely to be gone by early next year
1945 the company was founded
50 average age of the affected Bic workers
Bic's products also include lighters, shavers and stationery. The pens will be imported from South Africa.
