Just as expected, Jim Quinn KiwiRail Chief Executive gave the bad news to Hillside's workers at a special staff meeting, as he revealed that between 40 and 44 staff would be laid off, though they were inform about the situation a month ago.

He further stated, “The state-owned rail company would call for voluntary redundancies, and the final decision on who will be selected for redundancy would be made in consultation with the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, later this month”.

Hillside is said to have employed over 1,200 people in its ‘heyday’, and at present it has only 172 staff, though it’s still one of South Dunedin's biggest workplaces. Hence, a ‘long-running’ campaign has made councilors, MPs, unionists and the Otago Chamber of Commerce to come together, in an attempt to protect the jobs at Hillside.

However, the Union Organizer, John Kerr, expressed that Hillside staff were infuriated by KiwiRail’s decision, as they bombarded Quinn with questions regarding the move. Hence he said: “This gets worse and worse, because workers are still unsure how many jobs will go”.

Moreover, KiwiRail is reported to have been shifting Hillside from being a manufacturing plant, to engaging in the maintenance and upgrading of carriages and engines.