The union behind redundant Hillside rail workers has renewed calls for Parliament to address the concerns of almost 14,000 people who want to keep rail-manufacturing jobs in New Zealand.
A parliamentary select committee met this week to consider a petition signed by 13,854 people - the vast majority of them Dunedin residents - calling for the Government to commit to keeping rail engineering jobs at New Zealand workshops.
The Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMTU) wrote to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee to request that railway workers and RMTU representatives be able to speak to select committee members.
Union general secretary Wayne Butson said the public had given strong support to a campaign launched in response to a KiwiRail decision to cut 44 jobs at its landmark Hillside workshops in South Dunedin.
"We believe we should be able to present evidence before the committee, and ask the committee to give this urgent consideration," he said.
KiwiRail had bought rolling stock and electric units overseas rather than have them built in New Zealand, a decision which directly impacted on Dunedin staff made redundant as a result of the purchases, he said.
Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran has also called on the Government and Transport and Industrial Relations select committee members to let RMTU workers present their case in person.
Deliberations of the select committee were protected by parliamentary privilege until a report was made back to the House, a committee clerk said.
The select committee received the petition last month from railway workers at Hillside and Lower Hutt's Woburn workshops.
