Northern dairy laboratory staff lose jobs

Up to 26 laboratory staff at the Kauri dairy factory will lose their jobs as giant dairy company Fonterra reorganises its laboratory services.

Laboratory staff at the NZMP dairy factory will be reduced from 40 to 14 as product testing is transferred to Te Rapa during the next two years.

Laboratory staff at the company's Maungaturoto factory will also be affected, with product testing transferring to Waitoa, 12km northeast of Morrinsville.

Fonterra operations director Max Parkin said all final product testing for the company's factories north of Taupo would ultimately be carried out at Te Rapa.

South Island product testing was already centralised at Timaru, while in the lower North Island it was all done at Hawera. Centralising the testing enabled the use of sophisticated equipment and ensured uniformity, Mr Parkin said.

The switch from Kauri to Te Rapa will begin next February with the transfer of microbiological tests for Kauri powders and cream. At the same time the testing of Maungaturoto blends now tested at Kauri will transfer to Waitoa.

The transfers will take place over two months and affect 12 people in the Kauri microbiology laboratory. They have been offered the chance to work at Te Rapa or apply for one of the remaining positions at the Kauri and Maungaturoto laboratories.

Tests determining the chemical make-up of milk powder will be transferred from Kauri to Te Rapa in November next year and the move is expected to be completed by January, 2005.

The switch will affect a further 15 roles in the Kauri laboratories.

"Overall, the Kauri numbers will reduce from 40 to 14 from now until January 31, 2005," Mr Parkin said.

The 14 jobs remaining at Kauri at the end of the transition would consist of three cream products process technicians, six powder products process technicians, three sampling and documentation staff and two in calibration.

"These people have been confirmed in their roles," Mr Parkin said.

Kauri laboratory staff are being offered the chance to move to Te Rapa if any jobs come up in the laboratory there earlier in the transition process. Three laboratory technicians from Kauri are moving to Hamilton for the start of the new dairy season next month.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)