Workers in the Goulburn Valley have suffered another blow with the announcement that a large number of jobs well be axed at SPC Ardmona.
Competition from imported goods and the drought have led to a restructure which means that at least sixty production jobs at the fruit cannery are set to go.
The latest move follows the fifty job cuts at the company in January.
AMWU Victorian regional food and confectionary secretary Tom Hale says jobs will be lost at both the Shepparton and Mooroopna canneries in Victoria's north, with a focus on downsizing operations at Mooroopna for 18 to 20 weeks during canning season.
"The losses had been "on the cards" but we are concerned that it will have further effects elsewhere in the region," he said.
"We also have to guard against casualisation. We donít want full time permanent jobs turned into casual jobs.
"There are already up to four thousand seasonal casual jobs in the industry every year, but we want to limit casual jobs making inroads into the permanent jobs."
Voluntary redundancies will be offered to workers and some workers with particular skills may be transferred from Mooroopna to Shepparton or Kyabram operations.
"The job cuts will have a knock off affect on regional Victoria," Mr Hale said. "Sixty less pay packets a week in regional areas mean that there is less money being spent in those local economies."
The SPC Ardmona announcement follows that of Don Smallgoods last week who announced that 420 jobs would be cut at its Altona plant while a further 220 jobs will go from the companyís West Australian plant in Spearwood.
AMWU Victorian organiser Fergal Eiffe who looks after AMWU members in Altona said that workers were given two hours notice of the job cuts before the public announcement.
"It was a total shock to us. So much for the company keeping us in the loop about whatís going on."
Mr Eiffe said the one positive to come out of the cuts in Altona is that Don's is looking to expand its plant in Castlemaine which will provide more jobs for people in that region.