RCR is ‘doing the right thing’

The wife of a long-standing Bunbury RCR Tomlinson worker has defended the company’s handling of its collapse.

Administrators are working on securing deals to sell the failed engineering company’s businesses following its collapse last month.

The company has had strong ties in the South West since its establishment in 1979 and has employees in Bunbury and at the Greenbushes Lithium Mine.

The wife of a worker who has been with the Bunbury company for 17 years told the South Western Times that while her family was on tenterhooks, the company was “doing the right thing”.

The woman did not want to be named, but said it was important the community knew that workers were being looked after.

“They have been paid and they have been told what is going on,” the woman said. “The hierarchy are trying their best, nothing is being kept from the guys.”

It comes as manufacturing union State secretary Steve McCartney told the Times last week that some workers had no indication the company was in jeopardy and there was little information available to employees.

But the woman said while there was some concern, the company should be given a chance.

“We’re worried he might be made redundant, but we just hope whoever does take it over will keep him on and give him his entitlements,” she said.

Administrators from McGrathNicol this week revealed the contractor’s debt ranged between $480-630 million.

That included about 4000 unsecured creditors owed between $100-250 million and RCR’s 2800 employees $32 million.

A McGrathNicol spokesman said funding had been secured to support ongoing trading and more than 180 responses had been received through expressions of interest.