Staff at a Christchurch apparel factory say they're heartbroken after being told they'll lose their jobs by Christmas.
Sixty-seven staff at Deane Apparel have been made redundant - some after working there for decades. The company has made specialty workwear and uniforms for the past 30 years.
Deane Apparel general manager Corey Mulligan said a small group of staff will stay on to help in 2021.
He said they've been honest with staff throughout the process - but staff say they could have been more forthcoming.
"I think that they were not honest enough, they knew the company was struggling," Deane Apparel union delegate Rohini Chand said.
Chand, who has worked at the company for 13 years, is one of the staff members who won't have a job by Christmas.
"It's really breaking everyone's heart and we just don't know we're going to go from here," she said.
"After the New Year, we don't know where we stand. It's hard to find the skilled job we have in this field."
The announcement came after the COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme ended.
"We really wanted something and we are getting nothing out of this," Chand said.
The majority being made redundant from Deane Apparel are women.
Statistics New Zealand data shows more women have lost their jobs compared to men since the pandemic hit.
