KEY POINTS:
Dunedin printer Wickliffe announced yesterday the redundancies of 48 production staff in the city as part of a shift of operations to Auckland.
The company signalled in March that it expected half its 70 Dunedin production staff would lose their jobs as operations moved.
But chief executive Ewan Soper said the company's printing capacity in Auckland meant the additional redundancies were necessary.
The 22 remaining production staff would continue to service sheet-fed and digital printing for South Island customers.
By July next year Auckland full-time staff numbers are expected to be 275, with 75 left in Dunedin. These include staff in sales, at the call centre, in an e-commerce development team and at the Mosgiel distribution centre.
Staff numbers in Dunedin have already fallen from 160 in April last year and they were 130 in February. Last year Wickliffe laid off most of its administration staff, with jobs going to a new Auckland head office after Wickliffe bought printer Moore Gallagher.
Mr Soper said counselling would be offered to staff, as would a relocation package to Auckland.
EPMU delegates Graeme Tohill and Vince Enright said the increased number of redundancies was "disheartening and had taken staff off guard".
Senior operators in the industry have said the likelihood of skilled printers finding more employment in Dunedin would be difficult, especially with the number laid off in general during the past year.
- Otago Daily Times
