120 workers will be made redundant as PMP restructures IPMG's Offset Alpine plant in Lidcombe, Sydney.
PMP announced it would convert the facility into the dedicated sheetfed plant for its entire operation across Australia, which will mean the loss of 120 web printing and bindery positions. This brings total redundancies at PMP this year to 296, including 76 staff at Wacol, Queensland, and 100 at Noble Park, Victoria.
PMP spokesman Rodd Pahl says the restructure is part of the company's ongoing plans to achieve synergy benefits from its merger with IPMG. "There’s been a whole series of initiatives looked at, and that’s produced some really good opportunities to reshape what is done where in printing to provide a more efficient, competitive service for customers, using the best of both PMP and IPMG. Part of that will be looking at the different print types, what presses are where, to create synergies within the company.
"We’ve already done that at Wacol and Noble Park – this is part of the ongoing process that PMP will be undertaking and continues to undertake to get the best possible services and a better product for customers," Pahl said.
As part of the restructure, the web presses at Lidcombe will be either sold or redeployed to other PMP sites. "If some things are not required, they’ll be disposed of, but essentially there’ll be a redeployment of printers to make Lidcombe the primary centre for sheetfed printing in the PMP network," Pahl said.
PMP continues to work with the AMWU to provide support for those affected by these redundancies, says Pahl. "The support is as required and negotiated with the union, who have been working constructively with PMP - we have always worked together well," he said.
The merger between PMP and IPMG was completed on March 1 after a lengthy review process by the ACCC. The AMWU estimated that a total of 300 jobs would be lost due to closures of facilities in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.