ABOUT 11.30am yesterday the sewing machines at Wodonga’s Yakka factory were switched off for the last time.
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A final batch of 1500 trousers had been stitched so manager Peter Korju told his workers they could knock off.
In the afternoon, the factory that would normally be humming with the sound of 60 sewing machines was filled with radio tunes.
The only people left were Mr Korju and a couple of technicians who were disconnecting cables and packing away equipment.
In a couple of months, the Romet Rd building will be ready for sale and Mr Korju will join his fellow workers in the search for a new job.
He started at Yakka’s Broadmeadows factory 30 years ago and moved to Wodonga 21 years ago.
At its peak the Wodonga plant had 400 workers but as competition from overseas increased and tariffs dwindled the staff numbers fell away.
Mr Korju reckons the first nails in the Australian clothing manufacturing coffin were hammered in “about 15 years ago when Labor Senator John Button wanted his level playing field”.
“Well, look at it now, he’s got it,” he said looking at the deserted factory floor.
With plenty of packing to do, Mr Korju hasn’t had time to reflect on the closure.
“It has not hit me yet,” he said.
“When this place is empty and when I come here tomorrow and there’s no one here that’s when I will feel a bit saddened.”
Up until the last garment he said the staff morale remained “pretty good and they didn’t drop their bundle”.
The average age of workers was about 40 years and about 20 machinists had given more than 20 years of service.
