The whitegoods manufacturer announced last April it was moving offshore because of rising manufacturing costs.

More than 300 workers will finish up at Brisbane's Fisher and Paykel factory today as the company prepares to move its operations to Thailand.

The whitegoods manufacturer announced last April it was closing its operations at Cleveland on Brisbane's eastside and moving offshore because of rising manufacturing costs.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) spokesman Andrew Dettmer says Fisher and Paykel could not be persuaded to stay.

Read more at http://www.abc.net.au/news

This may be good news for Thailand but it’s really nothing but greed on the part of Fisher and Paykel, so why not just boycott them?

Whatever savings Fisher and Paykel make in this move will not be passed od to the consumer.

Between 2000 and 2004 the Indian economy rose 10% per annum, but the salaries of manufacturing workers during the same period fell from 25 cents to 23 cents per hour!

Paul Theroux

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star

So Vidiadhar and Vincent entered the other growth area in Bangalore, making deals in the American clothing market.

“Any labels I’d recognize”?

“Are you familiar with Kenneth Cole, Banana Republic, and Tommy Hilfiger” Vincent said

“Banana republic sells a type of pajama bottom that I usually wear on the train,

drawstring type with pockets they cost about 40$”

”

“We make them for 7$” Vidiadhar said. Any US clothing company could sell their clothes for fifty percent off and still make a profit.

It's not greed, it's business. Firms have an obligation to their shareholders to maximise profits.

It's not greed, it's business. Firms have an obligation to their shareholders to maximise profits.

And the top management has to show the profits for their bonuses. Oops, hugh losses may also activate bonus payments...silly me!

Silly is one word I could use but I could think of others...

I am a huge fan of Fisher-Paykel. I had never heard of this company before I moved to Thailand. I recently fitted out a condo with mostly Fisher-Paykel appliances which are very sleek, smart looking, energy efficient and only moderately expensive (in my opinion).

Probably the main reason I purchased F-P was because the appliances were made and assembled in Australia or New Zealand. I have learned--and I am sorry to say this--that appliances made in Thailand tend to be unreliable and are often ugly to look at and warranties are either worthless or almost impossible to claim.

Hopefully F-P will offshore their quality control and business practices to Thailand as well as their goods.

I am a huge fan of Fisher-Paykel. I had never heard of this company before I moved to Thailand. I recently fitted out a condo with mostly Fisher-Paykel appliances which are very sleek, smart looking, energy efficient and only moderately expensive (in my opinion).

Probably the main reason I purchased F-P was because the appliances were made and assembled in Australia or New Zealand. I have learned--and I am sorry to say this--that appliances made in Thailand tend to be unreliable and are often ugly to look at and warranties are either worthless or almost impossible to claim.

Hopefully F-P will offshore their quality control and business practices to Thailand as well as their goods.

F-P moved its whiteware manufacturing from NZ to Thailand about 2 years ago, if memory serves - lots of folk lost their jobs in NZ because there wasn't enough business to transfer them to other plants, and for obvious reasons, none of them really wanted to transfer to Thailand (except for management). They have appeared to take less interest in the whiteware line since F-P Health Products is going great guns. I use one of their CPAP machines - never a problem, clean one filter every few months or so, runs champion. And made in NZ.

I'm saddened to hear that warranties are approached as you say they are. Quality of manufacture and great after-sale service made F-P a household name throughout NZ; it's a shame to see them go downhill in this area.

forcing these factories to adhere to the same workplace health , safety and welfare and environmental conditions as the countries they are selling to would leave mainly just the wage differences. Wonder how many would be moving then ?