A ROUND of job redundancies was announced this week at one of Wellington’s largest employers, Relyon Ltd.

The bed and mattress maker said it was going through a ‘restructuring exercise’ as it faced challenging trading conditions and a drop in demand from a major customer.

The Wellington Weekly understands the number of job cuts at the factory was in double figures, equivalent to about five per cent of the workforce, with short-time working also to be reintroduced.

Managing director Alan Chapman said the company needed to reduce its cost base in line with customer demand.

He said the redundancies were among management, administrative, and service staff, but there was no intention to lose any shop floor workers.

Mr Chapman said: “Following challenging trading conditions and a reduction in demand from one of our major national customers, the business has undertaken a restructuring exercise.

“This process will be completed by the end of September.

“As a smaller business we are confident that these changes will create long-term stability for the future.”

The news comes just two months after the end of a temporary period of short-time hours for shop floor employees at the factory, equivalent to working a four-day week, which was caused by a fluctuating order book.

Relyon, which has made mattresses since 1858 and until this week had 194 staff, was bought out of administration in 2020 by Michco 2001 Ltd, which was formed by ex-Relyon Group chief executive Ian Topping with a number of private investors.