Mar 07, 2018  -  Security printer ABnote is moving ahead with plans to shut down its plastic card manufacturing business based at Christchurch and move the operation to Australia.

“The manufacturing will finish here at the end of March and we’ll all be out by the end of April,” says a staff member at ABnote NZ, based at 25 Halwyn Drive, in Sockburn, Christchurch.

E tū union spokesman Joe Gallagher says the lease on the old factory was due to expire and the company was not prepared to reinvest in equipment or property.

About 50 workers will lose their jobs at the site but some may be offered jobs at other ABnote locations in New Zealand and Australia.

“Most people will have cards in their wallet that were made at this site,” says Gallagher. “They produce bank cards, ID cards, loyalty cards and a lot more. It’s a real shame that these good kiwi-made products are just the next product to have production moved off-shore.”

Gallagher says that while the company may offer employment at other sites, this would be unrealistic for most workers.

“Families can’t just up and move to New South Wales. The company has indicated that they may help people find other jobs – we expect them to take the commitment very seriously.”

ABnote is the longest-established supplier of secure transaction products, services and logistics in Australia and New Zealand, employing around 600 people. The company is a market leader in identity cards, smart card solutions, instant issuance solutions, cheques, financial cards, driver’s licences and high-resolution barcodes.

Source: Print@1 Australia  ||  March 07, 2018   |||