28 May 2020

Christchurch events company cuts permanent workforce by 60 percent

7:13 pm on 28 May 2020

A Christchurch ratepayer owned events company has confirmed that it is cutting its permanent workforce by 60 percent.

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The Christchurch Town Hall is one of the venues run by Vbase. Photo: Supplied / Christchurch Conventions

The company, Vbase, first made the proposal a fortnight ago - saying it was a direct response to the Covid-19 public health measures, which had meant a 100 percent loss in revenue.

The reduction means 49 full-time and part-time workers will lose their jobs.

In a statement, the company said all casual staff and 34 permanent staff are being retained to support any future work.

Vbase runs a number of Christchurch venues including Hagley Oval, the Town Hall, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand and the Orangetheory Stadium - home to the Crusaders rugby franchise.

The Vbase board of directors said: "We are grateful for the consideration given to the change proposal by all staff. We recognise and respect their professional engagement in the process and support of the company and each other under such challenging circumstances".

It says the management is now focussed on supporting the people who will be leaving Vbase over the coming weeks, progressing a programme of business improvement and preparing for a staged re-opening of the venues under Covid-19 alert level 1.

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