Some of the 28 workers laid off from the Yarrows breadmaking factory in south Taranaki have been offered jobs in the company's Australian plants.
Chief executive Colin Pettigrew says 16 jobs in the company's factories in Perth and Sydney have been offered to the affected staff along with relocation packages.
Yarrows supplies the Subway chain on both sides of the Tasman, and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union says more dough is now being made in Australia.
EPMU spokesperson Wayne Ruscoe says the plan was to pick up other orders to keep the New Zealand workers employed, but those contracts haven't come through.
Mr Ruscoe says the major problem is the strength of the dollar which has meant the company has not been able to pick up overseas contracts.
He says Yarrows and the union are hopeful the company will be able to offer jobs back to laid-off staff in the near future.
Yarrows chief executive Colin Pettigrew also blamed the high New Zealand dollar.
