Nelson Weekly
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Wednesday 10 June 2020
New home for habitat
Pages 16-17
Page 3
College adds Fijian flair
Page 26
Marine company pleads for help Charles Anderson A Nelson marine engineering business says it will be forced to shed 40 percent of its workforce if the Government does not allow vessels to travel to New Zealand for urgent repairs. Aimex has already laid off 10
percent of its 100-strong workforce and is looking at further job cuts while its application to various ministries for help goes unanswered. It comes as other local companies in the sector write to the Government pleading with them to help. Aimex says that it may have cut up
to 40 percent of its staff. General manager Simon Lavery says they have requested that the vessel, Captain Vincent Gann and its workers, be allowed to come from American Samoa, be quarantined and, if necessary, tested for Covid-19 so they can undertake repair work.
“This is regular business for us. It’s what we depend on. It’s a real problem.” To allow that to happen the Ministry of Primary Industries would have to designate the workers on the ship as ‘essential’. Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford would then approve
or deny the request. However, Simon says that it is not just the Captain Vincent Gann, that would be coming from American Samoa, but others like it. American Samoa does not have any Covid-19 cases and since
SEE PAGE 2
Marching for racial justice Jonty Dine Hundreds of Nelsonians took to the streets on Saturday as part of global demonstrations demanding racial justice. The protests in response to killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer sparked
SEE PAGE 2
It was an emotional day for American Dvahje Durham who was one of hundreds who marched in Nelson. Photo: Jonty Dine
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Protesters marched down Trafalgar St demanding racial justice for New Zealand and around the world. Photo: Jonty Dine.
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