Accolade Wines makes 175 staff redundant as it moves bottling business
A 33-WEEK pregnant woman and prospective homebuyers were among those who lost their jobs at a Reynella bottling plant yesterday.
A 33-WEEK pregnant woman and prospective homebuyers were among those who lost their jobs at a Reynella bottling plant yesterday.
Accolade Wines yesterday made 175 staff redundant at the southern Adelaide site because it was moving its bottling business to Wolf Blass Winery, at Nuriootpa.
Accolade and Treasury Wine Estates announced a deal to share plants with brands, including Hardy's, Leasingham, Banrock Station and Starvedog Lane among others, to be packaged in Nuriootpa.
SA wine packaging jobs have steadily disappeared in the past two years in line with a strong Australian dollar and moves by major players to bottle "in market". Jacob's Creek owner Orlando recently cut 85 jobs from its Barossa Valley operations.
About 20 Accolade staff gathered yesterday at Reynella's Crown Hotel after being told they had lost their jobs.
While the workers were reluctant to speak, stories emerged yesterday of a 33-week pregnant worker in tears not knowing what her future holds, another man who had just signed to buy a new house three weeks ago and another with plans to buy one.
One 11-year company employee said: "The worst thing is, it's the heritage of the place", pointing to Reynella being the home of the Hardy brand since the 1920s.
Mawson MP Leon Bignell blamed the job losses on a private equity firm focused on money, not workers.
"They don't give a rat's about people," he said.
While the region was "holding its own" in terms of jobs, the move would be a blow to the area, he said.
Accolade chief executive Troy Christensen said bottling costs were just "too high" and "not a value contributor" to the company as it battled to remain competitive in US and UK markets with a strong dollar.
Accolade will now pay rival Treasury to package almost three million cases a year.
In turn, Treasury will pay Accolade to bottle its cheaper European-destined wines under Lindemans, Beringer and Rosemount labels "in market" at a huge plant near Bristol, in the UK.
Mr Christensen said 225 staff would remain at site.
Premier Jay Weatherill said the latest round of job-shedding underlined the need for the state economy to shift focus to remain competitive.
"Many enterprises are finding it tough with the high Australian dollar," he said.