Manufacturers’ group merges with employers
Coming to grips with the way robotics and artificial intelligence will change jobs was one of the drivers behind employer groups in Auckland and Canterbury taking over the declining Manufacturers’ Network.
Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leann Watson said it was one of the reasons behind the ‘‘merger’’ with her group and the Aucklandbased Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA).
But EMA chief executive Kim Campbell said it was more about integrating the skills and knowledge of the smaller Manufacturers Network, because the Auckland and Canterbury groups would keep their independence.
The Manufacturers’ Network has struggled to retain members and was down to about 147, while the Canterbury group had about
4000 and the Auckland group
7000, Campbell said. Advantages to Manufacturers’ Network members included better access to health and safety support, and greater access to political advocacy, Watson said.
Some rationalisation would inevitably take place, she said.
In recent years the Manufacturers’ Network had tried to become a national network but it failed to gain traction.
The group’s chief executive, Dieter Adam, said he expected the merged organisation would eventually be housed in Canterbury.
His group had four direct employees and other contractors, and he would continue in his job.
Membership of the Manufacturers’ Network has slowly declined. There had been a strategy to expand to Auckland but employers there were well served by the EMA, Adam said.
His members had indicated full support for the move.
Watson said the Manufacturers’ Network would become a sub-brand under the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, like ExportNZ which had been absorbed some years ago.
A number of other chambers of commerce and manufacturing groups in different cities have merged in recent years, and have an umbrella group, BusinessNZ.
‘‘There are no reporting lines as such. Each organisation remains independent, with the services merged for all business members,’’ Watson said.
‘‘We’ll work collectively. We’re all part of the same business family.’’