Vic: 120 jobs lost to Indonesia=2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2001
Vic: 120 jobs lost to Indonesia=2

Unilever's Australasian foods director Peter Boyden said the decision to close the
plant was made by the company's Australasian Foods board of directors with the support
of Unilever's South-East Asian head office.

The decision followed an 18 month productivity review which showed that although productivity
at the plant had improved, Australia's tea market had stabilised.

The Asian black tea market was still developing and the review recommended the company
amalgamate with an existing Indonesian plant closer to the company's tea source and the
developing market.

A program was being organised to help the 120 redundant workers find new jobs, he said.

Lipton's Mulgrave plant has been blending and packaging tea for 30 years, processing
thousands of tonnes of tea every year for the Australasian and New Zealand market.

Mr Boyden said the productivity review had been an open procedure and staff had been
kept informed of what was happening.

Unilever has a total of six factories operating in Australasia including two factories
in Melbourne, a soup and sauce factory in the Goulburn Valley, ice-cream, margarine and
shampoo plants in NSW and a soap factory in New Zealand.

AAP jmw/clr/jlw/cjh/br

KEYWORD: LIPTON 2 MELBOURNE (REOPENS)

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