Overview

• The company has begun formal consultation with Tokoroa staff on a proposal to shut the plywood plant and source plywood from overseas.
• Up to 119 positions are at risk, with redundancies scheduled for November if the closure proceeds.
• The union says the two-week consultation feels like a box-ticking exercise and expects a swift decision afterward.
• A union spokesperson says imported plywood can be obtained for about 60 percent of local manufacturing costs, pointing to power and input pressures.
• The proposal follows OJI’s June shutdown at nearby Kinleith and Carter Holt Harvey’s Eves Valley closure next month, as MSD and SWIFT coordinate support for affected workers.