-
Kaiapoi residents console each other - Source: ONE News -
Watch Video
-
Related
There's a glimmer of hope tonight for workers in Kaiapoi, who believed they had lost their jobs for good after the local New World supermarket was closed because of earthquake damage.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker told TVNZ News at 8 he had spoken with Steve Anderson, the chief executive of Foodstuffs which owns New World, and Anderson assured him none of the 86 staff will be out of work.
Earlier today the 34 full-time staff and 52 part-timers at the Kaiapoi New World believed they were set to completely lose their livelihoods as well as their homes.
The local New World has suffered irreparable damage in Saturday's quake and would take a year to rebuild.
Parker said all staff will receive full pay for two months, access to a specialist business advisor and counsellors, along with grocery vouchers.
"Foodstuffs will work with them to relocate them into new jobs, and if at the end of two months they haven't been able to relocate, they will stand by their staff and continue to work with them to find jobs for them," the mayor said.
But it's an anxious wait for people who already have so much to worry about.
Rhonda Wright is one of those who lost her job at the Kaiapoi New World today. She had already lost her house.
"I'm not dealing with it really. I don't know what the future's going to be like for us."
Her friend and colleague Judy Nathan said the news was "devastating".
"We thought our jobs were secure, we didn't realise that the supermarket was so badly damaged."
Waimakariri District Council mayor Ron Keating said it's bad news for a town already struggling because of the quake.
"They've suffered huge trauma and yet they're getting on with their lives as best they can."
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said he did not believe a raft of job losses would follow today's announcement.
"I'd be hopeful that this is a one-off incident, but the activity likely to gear up in the next few weeks may soak up those jobs."
He said he got the sense that many of the larger businesses in the district were coping well.
"We brought in the arrangements yesterday to ensure that smaller businesses do have the resources to keep their doors open during a difficult time, or at least hold their workforce together in a difficult time."
Other concerns in Kaiapoi
Port-o-loos still line the streets in Kaiapoi and Keating says they are likely to be there for a year.
Around 15% of houses still don't have water, and contamination is still a threat.
The Mulder family say they're taking it day by day, as are most people in town.
Their home of 14 years is one of 100 homes in the area that could be condemned
"You lean on your parents for support and then you just see how stressed out they are and you see the tears in their eyes," said Christie Mulder.
Her father Nick has taken the family to live with his boss.
They don't know when they will find another house.
For information on how to donate to the Canterbury earthquake appeal, click here.
