Manufacturing Alliance in Tassie

Date: 30 November 2009

Australia's two largest blue collar unions are in Tasmania today as part of a national campaign to secure manufacturing jobs for the future.

The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) represent over 250,000 workers and have members in almost every town in Australia.

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes and AMWU National Secretary Dave Oliver said the right government policy was crucial to ensure plants like Cement Australia continued to thrive.

Good company for workplace safety

"Cement Australia in Railton, Tasmania, is a good company that has worked particularly hard to ensure health and safety standards and to reduce risk from asbestosis for workers," Mr Oliver said.

"But times are still tough for manufacturing firms. Over 2000 full time manufacturing jobs have been lost in Tasmania over the last year, and 77,000 jobs have disappeared nationwide over the past year.

Job cuts have knock on effects across State

"Tasmanian firms like ACL, Bradken and Cadbury have all cut hours or jobs. Direct job cuts from firms like Caterpillar also had knock on effects on smaller shops like Maltec Engineering, Coastal Engineering and Belting.

"The most important thing we can do is to make sure we have a fair go procurement policy in place to give Australian manufacturers the ability to supply large-scale infrastructure projects and tenders," said Mr Oliver.

Protect valuable industry from years of neglect

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes said that meeting with members to discuss innovation, investment and skills was an important step for the future.

"We are talking to workers, explaining how this alliance will be fighting for the issues that concern them, to protect this valuable industry from years of economic degradation and neglect by the previous government," said Mr Howes.

• Unions push for job security (ABC)
  

For further information

Contact:	Paul Howes and Dave Oliver
Union:	Manufacturing Alliance
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed
by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW
[Credits] [Site Matters]