GEOFF Dawson walked away from MaxiTRANS yesterday knowing he would not return to his workplace of the past 12 years.Mr Dawson, a welder, was one of 54 workers made redundant by the Wendouree truck trailer manufacturer, which has experienced a drop in demand for its products.His former workmates are now on an extended Easter break and when they return to work it will be on a nine-day working fortnight.Mr Dawson was philosophical about his enforced departure."It's the way things are," he said."If you listen to the radio you hear 300 are getting put off here, 50 there. It's just the way things are."I'm not going to stand here and bag the company, otherwise I would not have stayed for 12 years."Mr Dawson said he had received all his leave and superannuation entitlements.Also among the 54 were 10 Chinese welders in Australia on "section 457" visas.They were in a group of 24 Chinese workers brought into the country by MaxiTRANS in 2005 to fill skill shortages.A number of the Chinese workers have since gained residency status and may keep their jobs.MaxiTRANS welder Paul Bell said he still had a job but had slept uneasily on Tuesday night.Yesterday, as a team leader, he was required to take some of the workers who were to be made redundant off production lines. Mr Bell said, although it was "not a good feeling having to take guys off the lines", he believed the company was doing its best to retain as many workers as possible."As a company I think they are doing the right thing. They could have said `we will keep you all on a five-day week and sack 80 of you'," he said.Australian Manufacturing Workers Union organiser David Nunns said the company should have been more willing to negotiate voluntary redundancies and those who lost their jobs yesterday were not given a chance to farewell their workmates.The union has asked the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to examine the way in which the redundancies have been made.MaxiTRANS managing director Michael Brockhoff said yesterday the company had about six weeks of orders on the company books.He said there had been no change to the plan to introduce the nine-day working fortnight.* Centrelink will hold a seminar tomorrow for Ballarat workers who have been made redundant or face the possibility of retrenchment.The seminar will be held at Saxon House, City Oval, Mair St, from 10.30am.