Staff cut at Copthorne

More than 20 jobs could be cut at Copthorne Solway. PHOTO/KAREN COLTMAN

KAREN COLTMAN
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More than half a dozen Copthorne Solway staff have been laid off and more redundancies are proposed.

The hotel, bar, and function venue is owned and run by Trust House.

The trust’s chief executive Alan Pollard finished in his role on Friday but told the Times-Age that a staff restructure was under way at the Copthorne.

He said he had done all he could to help set up the hotel post covid-19.

A former employee said that during the covid-19 crisis about one per cent of the rooms were used.

Sixteen essential workers from Breadcraft lived there during Alert Level 4 but when they left, the place was empty.

The hotel relies on holidaymakers and big Wairarapa events to stay profitable.

All these big events have dried up, including weddings.

It is understood staff received a letter on May 5 with the restructure proposal which included 23 job cuts.

One of the people made redundant was a dish hand who had worked at the hotel for 18 years.

She has now left.

A staff member who requested anonymity said there were staff laid off who had young families and the redundancies happened very quickly.

The proposed redundancies include three receptionists, four dish hands, 11 housekeeping staff, and a night manager.

The restructure letter invited affected staff to apply for other jobs remaining in the hotel and to apply for jobs with other Trust House businesses.

Manager Jill Harrison was approached for comment but said she could not provide a statement about proposed redundancies during the restructure process.

Millennium and Copthorne Hotels said last week it had cut hundreds of staff as a result of the effect of covid-19 on the tourism sector.

Trust House owns the Wairarapa franchise and its restructure is unrelated to the wider story, Pollard said.