Alliance Group intends to close Smithfield meat

600 jobs are almost certainly gone from Timaru after workers were told by Alliance Group today it intends to close Smithfield meat processing plant. It's a body blow for the South Canterbury community with more than one percent of all of the Timaru district employed at the plant. Workers have been told it is just a proposal at this stage and there may be opportunities at Alliance's other sites around the country. But, as Timothy Brown reports, workers think the last nail is already in the coffin.