McCain Foods slashes jobs

The move follows a number of other job losses across the city including major losses at Rivers, IBM and Telstra. 

In a statement released on Thursday, McCain’s revealed voluntary redundancies had been accepted by 26 employees at the Ballarat plant in order to improve productivity and lower costs. 

A spokesperson for McCain Foods said rising cost pressures and a push to remain competitive globally had led to the voluntary redundancies. .

“We would like to offer our thanks for those loyal employees who have been with us over many years and we wish them well,” a spokesperson said. 

McCain Foods employs around 42 maintenance workers and 600 production workers at the Ballarat plant.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union food division organiser Angela McCarthy said the fact the redundancies were all voluntary was a good thing for employees.

“It was handled relatively well and as they were voluntary only, we are happy for our members that were looking for retirement to have that sort of opportunity,” she said. 

Ms McCarthy said there was more than 100 casuals employed at the site meaning there would have been some backlash had the redundancies not been voluntary. 

“If they had been forced redundancies there would have been a significant industrial dispute,” she said.  

A total of 130 jobs were cut at Rivers in Ballarat as a result of the decision in September to close the warehouse in the city.

Earlier this year it was announced that 78 of the 128 employed at Telstra’s Gilles Street site –  including 28 full-time Telstra staff and 50 agency or consultancy staff – would be cut in April.

The cuts across Ballarat have lead to many to call for the relocation of a government department to the city as a way to address the job woes. 

It is understood the government is currently considering a number of proposals to address job issues in regional Victoria.