NDU Press Releases

An unstable dollar is costing many New Zealanders a job says National Distribution Union Secretary, Robert Reid.

"Employers keep telling us the high dollar is making life difficult for them," he says.

Pacific Brands is finally closing the doors of its Palmerston North and Christchurch factories with a combined job loss of 90.
 
The Palmerston North factory closes soon after 11.00 am today, Thursday and the Christchurch factory on Friday.
 
“A few jobs are being created producing socks in Christchurch as a result of a management purchase of some of the machinery,” says Robert Reid, President of the National Distribution Union.
 

The 20,000 strong National Distribution Union has a new National Secretary-designate.
 
Robert Reid, currently the Union’s President,  will take over the role from Laila Harré from August.

Laila Harré gave notice last year that she would not be seeking a further term as National Secretary in this year’s union elections. Robert Reid was the sole candidate for the role.
 

Pacific Brands today confirmed the closure of its Palmerston North “Liberty” factory.

“The 50 workers received the news at a meeting called by the company at 11.00 am this morning,” says Robert Reid, President of the National Distribution Union (NDU).

“This announcement comes two weeks after 40 workers at the Christchurch factory of Pacific Brands received similar news.

“For most workers in Palmerston North the announcement has come as a relief,” Robert Reid says.

The National Distribution Union is challenging Prime Minister John Key and NZ corporate giant Fletcher Building to take proactive action to deal with the 41 jobs lost as a result of the decision of Fletchers to close its Kumeu mill in the PM’s Helensville electorate. 

The National Distribution Union (NDU) is hailing the response of Oamaru’s Summit Wool Spinners to a further downturn in the international wool yarn spinning industry. NDU Regional Organiser Ken Young said that a meeting between Summit and the unions today had developed a very humane way to deal with the downturn in orders and produc

“LWR workers receive their first payments since their redundancies today, but not from the receivers, the government or Westpac.  The payments to LWR union members have come from union trust funds and public donations, including the cake stall protests outside Westpac Banks over the last week,” says Robert Reid, President of the National Distribution Union (NDU).

The crisis in the manufacturing sector is the theme of a National Distribution Union (NDU) conference of delegates in Palmerston North over the next two days.

The NDU represents manufacturing workers in the textile, wood and food processing sectors. It is currently involved in the high profile campaign for the rights of it members in the LWR receivership debacle.

Cake stall raises $1,300 + - now it's time for Government and Westpac to step up

"Overwhelming public generosity towards the 186 workers who lost their jobs at Lane Walker Rudkin last week should be taken as a signal to Westpac and the Government that we want more done to support workers who lose their jobs," says Laila Harré, National Secretary of the National Distribution Union.

Government and bank must do more says union