Steeltown MPs voting down steel rescue plan are a disgrace | AWU

Steeltown MPs voting down steel rescue plan are a disgrace

12 October 2011

Steelworkers across Australia today picketed the offices of Liberal MPs in several Australian steel towns.

AWU members held the national day of action to protest against Coalition attempts to kill off the $300 million industry assistance package designed to secure the jobs of thousands of Australian steelworkers.

Tony Abbott voted against steel workers' jobs

“Tony Abbott came to the Illawarra and said that he would save the steel industry, yet yesterday in the House of Representatives when he had an opportunity to do just that – he voted no,” AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, told the rally in Wollongong this morning.

Today’s rallies were held outside the offices of Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells in Wollongong, NSW; the office of Greg Hunt MP in Western Port, Victoria, and the office of Bob Baldwin MP in the NSW Hunter region.

Disgrace that steel town Coalition members voted against their constituents

“Even Coalition members who represent steel town communities still voted against the interests of their steelworker constituents in Parliament,” Mr Howes said.

“That’s a downright disgrace.

“If MPs like Ms Fierravanti-Wells vote against the Steel Transformation Plan in the Senate, they should be run out of town.”

Manufacturing Unions fought long and hard

Mr Howes said the manufacturing unions had fought long and hard to secure a special, sectoral package for steel during negotiations on the carbon price.

“A price on carbon will happen regardless of who is in power – it’s inevitable,” Mr Howes said.

“But what we’ve managed to get from the Government is a $300 million support package to save steel jobs.

“We sat down and negotiated a package we are confident won't cost the jobs of any members of our union – and that's a pledge that we take very seriously.

Howes warns employers against using carbon tax as an excuse to sack workers

“If we didn’t have the Steel Transformation Plan attached to the carbon price then things would be very tough indeed for the Australian steel sector.”

Mr Howes also warned employers about using the carbon tax to sack workers.

“If any employer tries to play some ideological game and tries to use the carbon price as a guise to lay off workers when we know that's not the case, we will name and shame them.”

The House of Representatives has now passed the government's Steel Transformation Plan 75 to 71 with Queensland independent Bob Katter joining all other independents and the Greens MP . Now the Bill goes to the Senate for debate and vote.

via awu.net.au

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