Management said twenty supervisory and administrative staff at the Email whitegoods factory in Orange, New South Wales, were told they are among 130 staff to be laid off.
Management said twenty supervisory and administrative staff at the Email whitegoods factory in Orange, New South Wales, were told they are among 130 staff to be laid off.
White collar staff remaining had also been invited to submit expressions of interest in voluntary redundancies.
The other 110 redundancies will be determined in meetings with the union and would concentrate on staff in the indirect factory department of support, maintenance and toolmaking.
Union officials believe they may be able to keep some of the jobs through negotiation with Email's management.
"We are continuing our discussions with unions to see about the remaining staff," said Len Kosharek, Email's Orange manufacturing operations general manager.
The parties involved have also agreed to set up a consultative committee to go over the restructure before any redundancy packages are offered.
AMWU organiser Vince Overton said "The workers are very pleased because the threat of people being tapped on the shoulder and being given a letter on Friday that says don't come Monday has been removed."
Email, is a major contributor to the town's economy and the subject of a hostile $785 million takeover bid by the Smorgon Steel Group, who intend to spin off the appliance business.
Email said the restructure had nothing to do with the takeover bid, but was aimed at boosting competitiveness in the face of increasing international competition.