Steel Council launched

Date: 30 July 2009

The Manufacturing Alliance strongly supports today's announcement by Minister Kim Carr that a Steel Industry Innovation Council will be established to ensure access to both public and private sector projects.

Manufacturing Alliance delivers a great result

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes and AMWU National Secretary Dave Oliver said that this was a great result for the local procurement policy that the Manufacturing Alliance has been calling for.

"This Steel Council will provide greater security for Australian steel workers, at a crucial time when the industry is in need of the best solutions that industry, business and government can find," Paul Howes said.

Steel sector struggling

"As demonstrated in Auto when Government, employers and unions work together we can achieve real results," Dave Oliver said.

"In 2009 steel production fell 50 per cent, which shows just how much the sector has been struggling with the economic crisis.

" We lose 85 good steel jobs for every 1000 tonnes of steel production lost," Paul Howes said.

We cannot allow discrimination against Australian suppliers in project specifications

"This council and the other procurement announcements that the Rudd Government and Minister Carr in particular have initiated will help address the 77,000 manufacturing jobs lost in the last twelve months," Dave Oliver said.

"A central aspect of the council is ensuring that project specifications do not discriminate against Australian suppliers, which has been a real setback for Australian manufacturers in their ability to win contracts," Dave Oliver said.

"We support the Rudd Labor Government's commitment to jobs and Australian manufacturing in this important first step in securing the Steel Industry's future," Paul Howes said.

What the media said about the Steel Council

• Steel industry buoyed by rescue package ( Illawarra Mercury)
  

• Steel industry gets its own 'Buy Australia' alternative (ABC)

For further information

Contact:	Paul Howes and Dave Oliver
Union:	Manufacturing Alliance
WWW:	http://manufacturingalliance.org.au/

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