Kraft Heinz is in talks with staff in New Zealand over job cuts at the US giant’s operations in the country.
The group’s local subsidiary, Heinz Wattie’s, is in talks with staff and union representatives for employees at two plants in and around the city of Hastings.
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“As part of its process of continuous improvement, Heinz Wattie’s is looking to implement a number of productivity changes at its King Street and Tomoana processing sites,” a spokesperson for Kraft Heinz said.
“As result, a number of positions have been identified as potentially redundant. The company is communicating openly with employees and their union representatives about this, and is calling for expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies. As it is still in the consultative phase, the exact number of redundancies is not confirmed. However, based upon the response so far, it is likely the productivity improvements will be achieved without any forced redundancies.”
The spokesperson added: “The company will treat employees with the utmost respect during this process and every effort will be made to support affected employees and their families. With the support of its parent company Kraft Heinz, Heinz Wattie’s continues to invest significantly in its Hawke’s Bay activities from growing to processing.”
A local trade union has reportedly said it understands Kraft Heinz is proposing the loss of around 40 positions at the site on King Street and a smaller amount at the Tomoana facility.
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