KIEWA Country Milk brands will be gone from shop shelves in eight weeks, the National Union of Workers suspects.
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Workers at Murray Goulburn’s Kiewa dairy have been told this week that milk production at the plant will end in the last week of July.
Up to 80 are expected to be retrenched as milk processing is transferred to the company’s Cobram factory.
Worker Andrew ‘Snags’ Cameron, who is also a union delegate, said the loss of Kiewa milk would be awful.
“What are they going to have at their smokos, all your tradies?” Mr Cameron asked.
“Myself I wake up in the morning and go and get one for breakfast.
“It’s going to be a big thing, it’s not just the Kiewa (iced) coffee, it’s chocolate, strawberry...it’s their white milk, it’s the brand and that hurts big time.”
NUW North East organiser Neil Smith echoed Mr Cameron’s concern at the end of Kiewa milk.
“If Kiewa milk is not made in Kiewa it’s not Kiewa milk,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s crazy, maybe people in the city don’t know the Kiewa brand, but anyone who lives in the North East knows the Kiewa brand.”
Murray Goulburn would not answer The Border Mail’s questions about the timing of production ending and the fate of the Kiewa brand.
Instead it stated: “MG is organising consultation sessions for Kiewa employees from 30 May – 1 June regarding the intended staged closure of the site.
“We are not able to provide further information until the conclusion of these sessions.”
Despite the end of milk making looming, the union still wants the factory closure reversed and will put its view to Murray Goulburn bosses at a meeting at Victoria’s Parliament House on June 9.
“The guys absolutely still want to fight for this place, they’re still extremely disappointed that the company have not taken any consideration for this community and the impact on it,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Cameron will represent Kiewa workers in Melbourne and speak to Murray Goulburn chief executive Ari Mervis.
“I’m not going to hold back,” he said.
Forklift driver Mark Williams, a married dad of children aged 8 and 5, is “gutted” at the prospect of no job.
“It’s pretty heart wrenching, you’re so used to being a provider for your family and it’s being taken away,” Mr Williams said.
“I hope they change their mind, I really do, not just for me.
“I’ve got a lot of friends and family working here, including a brother-in-law who just built a house.”
Cream cheese production is expected to continue at Kiewa until July 2018, when the entire factory will shut.
About 60 workers are employed in that area.
