At least 60 Gisborne-East Coast New Zealand forestry workers have lost their jobs as harvesting contracting company HarvestPro is caught up in the financial difficulty of its parent company Kiwi Forestry International. Sources: Gisborne Herald,
Last Thursday five Gisborne forestry crews arrived at work to find their work site in lockdown.
“We were told to get any chainsaws we personally owned and then to get back in the van and go home. It was unreal,” one worker told the Herald.
Another stunned worker said for the first time in 40 years he found himself unemployed.
“I am shell-shocked. I don’t know what I am going to do.”
Workers will find out if they have been paid — notification of the wages is normally sent out and the money is available on Fridays.
One worker said he was praying they would be paid, and get holiday pay owed so he and co-workers could meet their mortgage and other financial obligations.
HarvestPro took over the assets of Forest One after the Huanguang collapse 10 years ago and have been top performers in forestry harvesting over the past decade.
In the Gisborne district there were five logging crews.
Four truck drivers worked for Smith and Davies, another company owned by Kiwi Forestry International.
The Harvest collapse in Gisborne involves about 60 people — the harvesting crews, drivers and support administration staff.
The logging crews contract to Juken New Zealand, Ernslaw One, Hikurangi Forest Farms and Logic Forest Solutions. HarvestPro employs more than 200 people nationwide, mostly in Northland.
GE Finance and Insurance New Zealand communications leader Frederika Walls said GE repossessed equipment in Auckland, Gisborne and Northland from Kiwi Forestry Investments Asset Management Limited.
It was anticipated that the equipment would be marketed for sale in the coming weeks, she said.
The situation has a snowballing effect on the whole industry with forestry companies trying to meet shipping needs, and the port and trucking companies waiting for information.
Eastland Port would not disclose the amount of wood HarvestPro sent to the wharf daily but workers say it was about 1000 tonnes a day.
Most of the HarvestPro hauling equipment — valued at several million dollars — has been taken out of the district over the past six days.
Twenty 4WD vehicles and vans were repossessed. Security staff was employed to watch over sites during this process.
