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Deane Apparel in Christchurch will close in December.
Around 70 jobs will be lost after New Zealand clothing manufacturer Deane Apparel confirmed that it is closing its Christchurch factory just before Christmas.
The predominantly female workforce was told Wednesday that they will be unemployed as of Dec. 23.
The family business was founded in 1932 and has headquarters in Christchurch and a distribution center in Auckland.
Designs, manufactures and supplies coveralls and uniforms to Kiwi companies, including Cleanaway, Foodstuffs, and Fonterra.
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The Christchurch factory specializes in custom-made garments, but the company says customers have increasingly opted for ready-to-wear items, meaning the site has been running at a loss for several years.
On average, the staff have worked at Deane for 15 years, but two have more than 40 years of service.
First Union’s Southern Regional Secretary Paul Watson said staff were “frustrated” at being laid off just before Christmas.
“This is a largely mature, female workforce that is highly skilled, and has gone through a brutal year of layoffs, cut hours and commitments in an attempt to keep the business open,” he said.
