ViPlus Dairy has made the hard decision to undertake some redundancies at its Toora factory. Thirty one staff out of a total workforce of 124 will receive a redundancy package over the coming weeks. They will receive all entitlements owed in addition to a redundancy payment.
ViPlus has been actively managing their workforce in recent months to try and keep all staff employed, including utilizing Jobkeeper where able. However international markets have not rebounded as expected and they are forced to make this hard decision.
They will continue to work hard building their successful nutritional business, and they are focused on employment of local staff as vacancies arise.
Jon McNaught, ViPlus CEO says “Making this very hard decision is not taken lightly and we have done all we can and pursued all alternative options before undertaking redundancies. Our skilled workforce is central to our success, and we are losing some excellent people as a result of this action.”
South Gippsland Shire Chair Administrator Julie Eisenbise said, “It is disappointing to hear that ViPlus has made the difficult decision to make 31 roles redundant at their Toora plant. My thoughts, and the thoughts of South Gippsland Shire Council, are with those people and their families.
“We would like to assure the community that Council is working with ViPlus CEO Jon McNaught and Regional Development Victoria to support these workers in their transition to new opportunities.
“Council is also talking to support agencies that may be able to assist these workers and exploring the opportunities that could be available at Council through the recently announced Working for Victoria program. We want to give as much support as possible to these people during what is no doubt a difficult time for them and their families.
“To date, ViPlus has been a great addition to our region and has had a positive impact on jobs in and around Toora. This announcement takes us all by surprise and highlights the affect that COVID-19 has had on so many businesses throughout our region and indeed the rest of our nation.
“We hope that ViPlus can recover from this setback and, in time, find a way for these jobs to return.”
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien said, “It is extremely disappointing to hear of the loss of 31 jobs at ViPlus in Toora. My thoughts are with those individuals and their families.
“I urge the Victorian Government to do what it can to assist those who have lost their jobs to transition into new work or training.
“ViPlus has been a great success story in Toora, re-opening a closed Bonlac plant and providing much needed jobs for South Gippsland. This announcement highlights that the effects of the pandemic are ongoing and will impact us all in many different ways for years to come. “I hope ViPlus will soon be firing on all cylinders again and that, in time, these jobs will return.”
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