Workers betrayed in Ballarat

Date: 22 July 2009

More than 100 workers due to lose their jobs at Lihir Gold's Ballarat mine have been betrayed by the company's decision to abandon the project, the Australian Workers Union said today.

AWU Victorian Branch Secretary Cesar Melhem said that Lihir had been portrayed as a saviour of the local economy around Ballarat.

Must do everything we can to get buyer for the mine

  Now scores of workers will be dumped as the company tries to sell the mine.

"The Victorian Government should fast track retraining programs and stimulus measures to create new opportunities in Ballarat, and do everything it can to ensure that the mine is attractive to a new buyer", Mr Melhem said.

Damaging the local economy

"This is a serious blow for Ballarat on top of all the other manufacturing job cuts during the global financial crisis," he said.

"It is another bad case of an internationally-focused company that does not care about the local community or about damaging our economy", Mr Melhem said.

WHEN 2.30PM AEST TODAY WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2009

WHERE Level 2, 685 Spencer Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003

CONTACT AWU Media Officer Jeremy Vermeesch 0431 942 977

For comment: AWU State Secretary Cesar Melhem - mobile 0418 597 822

For information: AWU Media Officer Jeremy Vermeesch - mobile 0431 942 977

For further information

Contact:	Cesar Melhem, Branch Secretary
Union:	AWU Victoria
Contact Mobile:	0418 597 822
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

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