Central Pier at Docklands is normally a hive of activity over the pre-Christmas period but more than 100 staff at local businesses have lost their jobs, as the entertainment precinct remains closed until at least January over safety concerns.
More than 100 people who work at Central Pier in Melbourne's Docklands have lost their jobs on the eve of Christmas, as businesses grapple with an uncertain future.The number of people working for businesses at the pier has been cut in half since it wasEight business owners are suing Development Victoria for failing to maintain the area's safety, after it was deemed structurally unsound by Development Victoria.
Business owners said they had been left in the dark and have been forced to lay off hundreds of staff, at what is normally the busiest time of the year.Since then the workforce has been slashed to less than half — many of the laid-off workers were causal staff. Atlantic Group chief executive Hatem Saleh made the tough decision to let go 22 full-time staff last week.
"It's heartbreaking. Some of these people are family and some have relied on this business for over a decade," he said. "To be put in the position where we've had to let these people go just before Christmas, with no assistance or understanding as to why, has been frustrating."
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