Four jobs lost at Northpower

Four jobs have been lost at Northpower

Four Northpower employees have lost their jobs after the lines' company closed its garage and outsourced vehicle maintenance work in a bid to save costs.

Due to re-organisation, a further eight mostly frontline and office staff based in Northpower's Whangarei office could also lose their jobs but the company said most would likely be retained.

Spokesman Steve MacMillan said three Northpower mechanics were affected by the garage closure in Whangarei and one in Dargaville at the end of March.

"As always Northpower worked with them to find new employment and to the best of our knowledge all have pursued new opportunities," he said.

Mr MacMillan said Northpower changed its vehicle management and servicing in late March.

"This change was bought about because as the Northpower fleet is renewed, to ensure safer, more well-equipped vehicles, the need to service these in accordance with manufacturer requirements has arisen. The costs of re-tooling Northpower's workshops to work on these vehicles was such that a change needed to be considered."

He said the company's nearly 200 vehicles were now being serviced at garages in Whangarei.

Northpower had over recent years looked at how it could maintain its staff numbers in line with costs and concluded jobs of eight staff, including linesmen, would be potentially affected, he said.

"The reality of our business, as with any other, is that we work to ensure we are resourced appropriately to current and future work volumes.

"Last week we concluded a consultation period with eight staff potentially affected. However, we are working closely with them to find other opportunities " many within Northpower."

Mr MacMillan said it was the first job cuts in Northland in well over a decade.

Over this time, he said staff numbers have grown by more than 100- mainly in Whangarei. Northpower employs 307 people in Whangarei and Dargaville.