May 16, 2007

Dynamic outsourcing shows urgent need for policy – EPMU

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union is renewing its calls for government to change its approach to manufacturing following the announcement of 200 job losses at Christchurch-based high-tech manufacturer Dynamic Controls.

The job losses are the result of the company’s decision to send its mobility and respiratory manufacturing divisions to China and are likely to impact on most of the 61 EPMU members who work at the company.

EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little says the closure of Dynamic shows more needs to be done to maintain New Zealand’s manufacturing sector.

“Like Fisher and Paykel, Dynamic is a company that has based itself around high skills and innovation and yet they’re in the process of moving offshore. We need to look at an approach to manufacturing that offers more than platitudes about ‘Kiwi know-how’ and focuses on the real reasons manufacturing is struggling in New Zealand.

“We’re expecting the select committee inquiry into monetarism to address some of these issues but when a sector that provides a quarter of a million jobs has coherent framework let alone ministerial representation the problems will continue.”

The EPMU is New Zealand’s largest manufacturing union.

ENDS

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