Hamilton Jet, a multinational corporation with its headquarters in Christchurch, has warned its employees to expect significant job cuts.
Chris Lynch Media was informed on Thursday by a top employee that “our company is going to lay people off soon, it’s so frustrating.” The information was confirmed by another angry employee.
At least 60 employees, including 45 shop floor employees and 15 administrative staff, were being laid off, according to a representative for the New Zealand Manufacturing and Construction Workers Union.
“It doesn’t make sense to me as the company has outgrown its current premises and was constructing a new building” the spokesman said.
The business announced just over a year ago that it would stop developing small-scale jet-boat water jets and switch to being an international large-scale producer, producing water jets for governments, the oil and gas industry and commercial fishing.
The company is the largest maker of water jet propulsion in the world with over 440 employees working across its global network of three regional offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas and 55 distribution partners.
Ben Reed, general director of Hamilton Jet, stated that the industry was in desperate need of staff in March 2022.
