18 Jan 2018

50 jobs in jeopardy at Chch factory

5:58 pm on 18 January 2018

About 50 workers at a Christchurch plastic card manufacturer are set to lose their jobs after their employer decided to move the operation to Australia.

AB Corp produces bank and loyalty cards.

AB Corp produces bank and loyalty cards. Photo: 123RF

AB Corp produces bank and loyalty cards.

It is proposing closing by the end of March after consulting with staff for three weeks.

The union for many of the workers, E tū, said while the employees have been offered replacement jobs, it was not realistic to expect those with families to make the move to New South Wales.

It was a shame local jobs could not be retained, the union said.

The union noted AB Corp was closing after losing several local contracts and said the government should make more of an effort to ensure state-owned businesses prioritised buying locally produced goods.