Essential services soldier on in lockdown

AUCKLAND: Fishing company Sanford, apple marketer Scales and Sky Network Television have all been classed as essential services and will continue operating through the national lockdown aimed at stemming the spread of the Covid19 virus.

Sky said it had reduced onsite resources to ‘‘essential staff working under strict safety controls.

‘‘This small team will ensure that New Zealanders continue to have access to news, entertainment and sports across Sky’s satellite, streaming and freetoair platforms, supported by . . . Sky staff working from home,’’ the pay TV operator told NZX.

‘‘These remain very uncertain times. Sky continues to work on various initiatives with rights holders and is reviewing work programmes in light of the covid19 restrictions,’’ it said.

The company has made a range of offers to customers with immediate effect ‘‘to help them through the Level 4 restrictions and to offer more value to residential customers. It is too early to assess the implications of these moves.’’

Sky said it would continue to seek guidance from the Government and emphasise staff safety and supported the elimination of the virus.

Scales said its operations needed to complete strict Ministry of Primary Industries registration processes to maintain the status of essential services but would remain operating subject to that status.

‘‘Although these businesses will continue working, Scales is committed to put in place alternative ways of working to keep our staff, suppliers and the public safe and has prioritised the implementation of appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of our people,’’ managing director Andy Borland said in a statement.

‘‘For the 2020 apple season, the harvest has continued with approximately 40% of the crop harvested and either in storage or shipped,’’ Mr Borland said.

Subject to market conditions, Scales had adequate resources to cover harvest, packing, cool storage and shipping, he said.

Based on the harvest of early varieties, the crop is on track for forecast quantity ‘‘with pleasing size and quality’’.

Mr Borland said the impact of the crisis on the company and its profit guidance was uncertain.

In February, Scales said underlying net profit for calendar 2020 would be between $30 million and $36 million. Underlying net profit for calendar 2019 was $36.4 million.

Sanford, NZ’s largest fishing company, said it had put in extraordinary measures to keep staff safe and to allow it to continue operating and keep food flowing to supermarkets.

These included different operating procedures on vessels and in its factories, chief executive Volker Kuntzsch said.

‘‘We are also sending home all our people who can work from home. Clearly, this does not include our fishers or those who process the fish, so for these people, we are requiring new work patterns and we will be enforcing staggered shifts and break times so that all our people can observe social distancing requirements,’’ Mr Kuntzsch said.

It was too early to assess the effect on the business, but Sanford expected there would be some.