8th February 2005

Wellington loses 200 jobs

ASSA ABLOY New Zealand (formerly Interlock Group) Ltd, announced to staff today the closure of their Miramar plant with the loss of 200 jobs.

All future New Zealand manufacturing and distribution activities will be carried out from the company's North Shore site in Albany.

CEO D'Arcy Quinn said the move was to counter the arrival of directly competing Chinese copies of Interlock's products at prices similar to the cost of Interlock's raw materials.

Green Co-Leader Rod Donald said, "Interlock has gone from Government darling to the dustbin because of unfair competition from sweatshop manufacturers in China."

"While Interlock's decision to close is a result of unfair competition from cheap Chinese imitations and the high exchange rate, rather than the prospect of tariff cuts on imports, it highlights the inevitable loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs in New Zealand if Labour signs a free-trade agreement with China."