Ads by Google Ads by Google

Starkist Samoa resumes normal production on Monday

fili@samoanews.com

StarKist Co., reminds cannery workers that production is still set to resume next week Monday at the StarKist Samoa facility in Atu’u and the company is still banking on a big turn out of workers to kick start production of the new year.

StarKist Samoa took its three weeks end-of-the year shut down of production break, with the last day of production on Dec. 16, while the first day of production for 2017 is scheduled for Jan. 9 (this Monday).

StarKist corporate spokesperson Michelle Faist reconfirmed to Samoa News yesterday that “normal production” at StarKist Samoa is still set to resume on Jan. 9.

Faist had told Samoa News last month that the cannery typically has the standard two-week closure towards the end of December in the past years, but last year made the difficult decision to remain closed the first week of January.

“StarKist Samoa continues to experience volatility in its plant operations, and much of the strain is due to limited space. The lack of space is having a negative impact on our business and our workers,” she said.

Also resuming work on Monday is the Satala-based can manufacturing plant, Talofa Systems Inc., which is owned by South Korean company Dongwon Industries along with StarKist.

With the longer end of the year break, many cannery workers returned to Samoa for the holidays and started returning back to Tutuila on the MV Lady Naomi’s sail last Thursday and yesterday; some returned back to the territory on either Polynesian Airlines or Talofa Airways.

Among the affected businesses during the three-week closure are buses, which cater to cannery workers — buses are chartered to transport workers, especially those who work on the night shift and early morning.

While the return of StarKist Samoa to production is viewed as good, bus service, along with other local businesses, will continue to be impacted now that cannery production for Samoa Tuna Processors Inc. closed its door indefinitely on Dec. 16.  STP is using the location currently as a logistics hub and about 100 people are still employed. It is unknown at this time, if the cannery operation will be sold outright.