AS few as 12 jobs may be retained if Kiewa Country milk continues to be made on the Border, a union official believes.
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National Union of Workers North East organiser Neil Smith was reacting to Murray Goulburn announcing it had sold the popular brand made at its Kiewa dairy.
"MG is pleased to announce that it has entered into agreements to sell the Kiewa Country brand and certain associated assets to a local business that is expected to recommence local manufacture in the future,” the company stated.
“The commercial terms of the transaction are confidential.”
The company declined to clarify what “local” meant and any other details of the deal.
The move coincides with the last week of milk output at Kiewa, with 60 workers to be jobless after Friday.
Mr Smith said he was frustrated at the vagueness of the statement and lack of response to calls he had made to Murray Goulburn.
“It’s great for Kiewa milk to be alive and we absolutely want that but if they keep taking these little bits of the factory out it’s not sustainable,” he said.
“That’s a real concern, we need them to come out and speak the truth to the community.
“If it moved into Albury or somewhere like that it would be fantastic but the jobs on offer would be nowhere near 60.
“I wouldn’t imagine it would run 24 hours a day, so it might be just one shift, a dozen people.
“So when it’s made there might be a dozen people as opposed to the 60.
“But we don’t know – where is it, where’s it going to be made?”
Kiewa Murray Goulburn worker and union delegate Andrew ‘Snags’ Cameron said there had been no feelers to workers over production moving elsewhere.
“It’s just a feelgood thing I think,” Mr Cameron said.
“There are thousands of people saying ‘let’s keep it here’, so Murray Goulburn have gone ‘we’ll sell it and keep everyone happy’.”
Murray Goulburn rejected that view, with a spokesman saying “the new owners of the Kiewa brand are excited to continue to supply the Kiewa range to the local market and support any ongoing employment through the distributor network and local manufacturing”.
He also disputed the suggestion the company had not spoken to the union about the deal.
“This is incorrect – we have communicated with the NUW,” the spokesman said.
The Border Mail asked whether Murray Goulburn would be elaborating on the Kiewa brand sale deal at any time this week.
“There is no further information beyond today’s announcement at this time,” he responded.
