Engineering firm poised to announce ‘rightsizing’ measures

SCOTT Tech is expected to announce its decision on a restructure this week that could lead to 15 jobs being cut from its South Island branches.

Feedback from staff on a proposal to cut back the number of workers based in workshop areas in the Dunedin and Christchurch sites was expected at the end of last week.

Scott Tech chief executive John Kippenberger would not comment on the proposal.

‘‘Out of respect for our employees and the integrity of the process I am not able to comment at this time,’’ he said.

The proposal is asking for volunteers for redundancy first.

Six staff are to go from the Dunedin workshop and nine from Christchurch.

Scott Tech has claimed a wage subsidy of $1,628,037.60 for 232 staff.

Earlier this month the company said it would head in a new direction, ‘‘rightsizing’’ the business by closing some of its sites around the world.

The Kurnbach facility in Germany will be closed and production moved to other plants.

Melbourne manufacturing was proposed to be folded into the Sydney plant and the Brisbane office closed.

The company also said it would sell its hightemperature superconducting business, HTS110, in Wellington.