Fletcher-owned Placemakers closes store and depot

Thursday, 11 June 2020

Fletcher Building's proposed cutbacks appear to have begun in Christchurch where one Placemakers store has closed.

Placemakers is the building products arm of Fletcher Building and the company has confirmed it has closed its Antigua Street branch in Christchurch as well as a small depot in Helensville, Auckland.

Fletcher Building said there would be some redundancies but declined to say how many.

''We have redeployed most to other roles or branches within the company and are supporting the small number who will be leaving the company in finding new employment.''

* Fletcher Building workers coming to grips with proposed 1000 job cuts

The move follows Fletcher Building’s announcement in March that in response to the Covid-19 market downturn it would begin consulting staff on plans to cut its workforce by 10 per cent.

Chief executive Ross Taylor said at the time that no part of the business was immune to the cuts, as it looked to slash 1000 jobs in New Zealand and 500 in Australia.

One source said last month that Fletcher Building was ultimately looking to cull 400 jobs at Placemakers, which employs about 2100 people across 61 stores.

First Union spokesman Jared Abbott said at the time said Fletcher's Easysteel and Laminex, businesses were also impacted, and a source told Stuff there were potentially 200 jobs going in the construction division.

Another source said workers at Winstone Aggregates in Fletcher Building's heavy building products division have been informed their jobs were on the line.

Amalgamated Workers Union national organiser Maurice Davis said Fletcher Building was likely to get rid of its large numbers of its labour hire staff for its delayed projects.

Fletcher Building itself has assured staff no one would leave the business before June 26, 12 weeks from when it received a wage subsidy payout of $67.68 million.