55 job losses at Canterbury Leather
New Zealand company Canterbury Leather, which makes Canterbury Sheepskin-branded footwear and accessories, is to make 60% of its workforce redundant on October 21, 2011. Co-owner Ian Hunter said the high New Zealand currency meant the company was “not competitive any more” and had lost a large export contract to the US.
“It’s very, very challenging,” he said. “We’re going through much the same as other New Zealand manufacturers.”
In 2004, the business produced 300,000 sheepskin boots and employed about 220 people. But Mr Hunter said the varying exchange rate was a “fact of life”, and that he was concentrating on the remaining business.
“You have to focus on what you’re good at and we’ve got a strong Canterbury Sheepskin brand.”
The redundancies will occur over different parts of the business and the remaining workers are “multi-skilled and specially skilled”.
The affected workers will receive redundancy packages according to their contracts and the company is working to help staff find other jobs, Mr Hunter said.
“We’re trying to help people as much as we can. There are a lot of jobs in Christchurch if people are flexible.”
