Emotional textile workers and their families yesterday were offered counselling in the wake of the loss of 192 jobs at the Summit Wool Spinners plant in Oamaru.
At a meeting with union officials, workers were told plant-owner Sumitomo had made further ''enhancements'' to redundancy packages, after negotiations with the EPMU and FIRST Union.
EPMU lead organiser John Gardner said both counselling services and a job-search programme would be available to employees.
It had been confirmed all 192 employees would be made redundant, but a final cessation date had still to be worked out, Mr Gardner said.
It was his '' belief'' that work would end on February 28, but that was still to be confirmed, he said.
He praised the Japanese parent company for the way it had dealt with employees.
''The past four years have been really tough, and a number of companies would not have shown the loyalty that Sumitomo have,'' he said.
Employee Michelle Watson, of Oamaru, said she had worked at the plant for 17 years, and her mother had worked there before her for ''a long time''.
She and her fellow workers had been through a ''horrible'' time, Miss Watson said.
''I worked with people here for a very long time. You get pretty close to people when you work so long.
''They are like family in a way.''
The Weaver St plant had been the only place she had worked, and she did not believe she would be able to get another job, she said.
The only option was to reapply for her job with the new owners, she said.
''This is the only work I know.
''I will take my chances with everyone else. Hopefully, something will come my way.''
Sharon Solomon said she was ''pretty devastated'' at the prospect of ending her 15-year career at the plant, but added there were ''entire families'' who stood to suffer financial hardship with the layoffs.
''There are a lot of couples that work here together.''
Mrs Solomon was also pessimistic about many of the 192 employees' chances of finding work in Oamaru.
''I don't think there are anywhere near enough jobs. I know people from the last round of redundancies [in May] who still haven't found work,'' she said.
