The fate of 13 Grafton Sawmill employees has been left in limbo since the announcement of the company’s liquidation. Source: The Clarence Valley Daily Examiner
At a general meeting of the members of the company on February 11, it was resolved that the company would be wound up and that Robert Moodie and Will Griffiths from Rodger Reidy be appointed liquidators.
A timber worker at the Trenayr mill, who did not wish to be named, said all employees were stood down without further pay on this week.
Negotiations with a prospective buyer from China means the workers may not have lost their jobs just yet, but a week on from the announcement they are still waiting for news from the company.
Liquidation company Rodgers Reidy confirmed negotiations with a Chinese investor were ongoing.
“The (liquidators) said you guys are lucky there’s someone in the background who wants to buy it,” the worker said. “But since we were told about it on Tuesday, we have not heard a thing.
“There’s just no communication there. At least they could be ringing us every couple of days.
“It is a tough break. You think your job’s secure.”
The employee said his family relied on his income and as such he had been actively looking for alternative employment in case he doesn’t have a job to go back to. But he is quickly realising the timber industry is not as healthy as it used to be.
“It’s hard to find work in the Clarence Valley at the moment,” he said.
“Especially with the guys from Big River looking for work as well.”
Forty-five employees at the fire-damaged Big River Timbers were stood down without pay at the end of January.
In another possible blow for the timber industry, Grafton-based wholesale sawmill and timber products Meaney Bros Timber Pty Ltd will appear in Victoria’s Supreme Court in regard to a winding up order applied for last month by Centrel Pty Ltd, trading as Reliance Petroleum.
