Work at Newcastle Port back in Local Hands

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

It's a victory for local workers this week, with local engineering company Varley Group securing a contract to unload wind turbine cargo at Newcastle Port.

The change comes after a shipping company who previously used Singaporean workers on 457 visas to do the job, caved from community pressure.

Maritime workers held a protest at Newcastle Port earlier this month in protest of foreign workers taking their jobs.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon says this turnaround is a terrific win for Newcastle locals.

Workers protesting at Newcastle Port [Image: Maritime Executive]

Both for our local workforce, certainly for Varley Group...and also just stopping what was one of the most exploitive moves ever trying to replace a local workforce with a foreign workforce that was to the best of our knowledge, not receiving the right wages or conditions for the job."

She says the Unions were a key factor in keeping the work local.

"The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union and the Maritime Union of Australia have done a great job in bringing community workers together to ensure that this outrageous attempt to deploy a fly-in crew from Singapore to do the work that men and women in Newcastle have been doing for generations - it's great to see they've been able to garner enough community support and pressure to stop that practice in Newcastle."

According to the MP, when companies give these contracts to foreign workers, it's often a case of exploitation for the sake of profit.

"They're paying those overseas workers lower wages and not paying attention to their level of skills," she said.

"It's just a classic case of a company trying to cut corners on safety and further suppress wages and conditions in order to make a bigger profit at the end of the day."

Despite the victory, Sharon Claydon still believes we need to be on our guard to help protect Australian jobs.

AMWU demanding action on Hunter rail manufacture

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Rail workers and unions gathered outside the Crowne Plaza in Newcastle this morning before a Senate Inquiry got underway into the manufacture of trains in Australia.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union is demanding the Federal Government bring train building contracts back to the Hunter.

The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee inquiry into the state of Australia's rail industry in Newcastle this morning heard evidence from local firms, expert witnesses and workers.

Image AMWU Twitter

"We felt that we got a very good and robust engagement with the Senate inquiry and we'll be continuing to campaign and lobby for our position to make sure the government and Malcom Turnbull do the right thing," said AMWU Assistant National Secretary Glenn Thompson.

The AMWU says $4 billion worth of local train building contracts have gone offshore and it needs to stop.

"State wise this government has been absolutely appalling with the $2.3 billion contract for 65 trainsets going to South Korea. Now Minister Constance should be called the employment minister for South Korea because he's creating a lot of jobs and a lot of apprenticeships in South Korea but not here in Newcastle and the Hunter," said Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp.

Tim Crakanthorp believes if a full proof policy is put in place, the Hunter will benefit astronomically with more jobs and quality products being produced.  

The Newcastle MP says 1200 direct jobs and up to 2800 indirect jobs are going to be affected after the government awarded a $2.3 billion contract for a South Korean manufacturer.

Demand for new railcars is expected to grow by about 11,000 in the next 30 years.

"The key is for the government to get a policy in place with the state premiers to ensure that we have a policy that we build all trains in Australia and of course the Hunter - where there have been 100 years of building trains - we'd be in prime position to benefit from such a policy," said Glenn Thompson.

There are already manufacturers in the Hunter, all they need are contracts.

"We have UGL who still do produce diesel locomotives but they haven't had a proper train contract for manufacture for some time and unfortunately we've lost many many skilled workers who've left the area because there simply aren't the jobs," he said.

Image AMWU Twitter

Hunter Rail workers getting louder

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

With demand for new railcars expected to grow by about 11, 000 in the next 30 years, Hunter workers are calling for them to be built here in Australia, and not overseas.

Hunter train builders will hold a rally in Newcastle this morning calling for government intervention to ensure tax dollars are spent on trains being built here.

A Senate inquiry is being held at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Newcastle looking into the issue.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) will hold a rally and press conference outside of the Crowne Plaza ahead of the Senate inquiry.

The AMWU says around $4 billion worth of local train building contracts have gone offshore, and they're calling on the Federal government to ensure an Australian train is never again built overseas.

All Work, No Pay

BY RACHEL STORER

The payment fiasco covered by 2NURFM on the 28th of February, continues for Tomago workers.

The workers are now in their sixth week without pay, and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) is frustrated with the lack of action.

Lendlease was awarded the multi-million dollar RAAF Base Upgrade and have used Copal Engineering as a sub-contractor for the fabrication.

The AMWU have placed 12 out of 16 employees in casual employment and are still working hard to fully resolve the issue.

RAAF Base Contractor Chaos

BY RACHEL STORER

The RAAF Base at Williamtown is receiving millions worth of upgrades. Image: news.com.au

Close to 20 workers based in Tomago are owed more than five weeks pay after conflicts between infrastructure company Lend Lease and sub-contractor Copal Engineering.

The workers have been fabricating a new hangar to house F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, which is due to be delivered in late 2018 as part of the Williamtown RAAF Base upgrade. Lend Lease won the multi-million dollar contract in 2014 and has used Copal Engineering to sub-contract the fabrication.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) has strongly condemned this payroll debacle saying that workers are struggling to make ends meet and support their families.

Both Lend Lease and Copal are playing the "blame game" and the AMWU says even they are unsure as to who has full responsibility.

State Organiser of the AMWU, Cory Wright says that the Department of Defence should have stepped in by now as this project is being leased out by the federal department.

"Realistically the Department of Defence needs to involve themselves in this as it's a major infrastructure project for Australia which has national significance.

[They] need to play a role in ensuring all workers are fairly paid, so we're asking them to intervene as soon as possible to make sure these workers can put food on their tables and pay their bills," Mr Wright said.

Workers and Mr Wright are today picketing the work-site until this fiasco is sorted.

"We'll be picketing the site until we are able to get an outcome and get these workers paid," said Mr Wright.

"Some of these workers are owed up to five weeks pay plus a significant amount of superannuation [from] the last 12 months.

"It's not these workers fault that there's a contractor dispute, they're just caught in the middle and someone needs to act."

New Poll: Hunter Support For Baird Government Slips Further

BY IAN CROUCH

The BAIRD government appears to be losing even more support in the Hunter.

A ReachTEL poll shows the Coalition's only local MP, Michael Johnsen would lose his seat of Upper Hunter if an election was help today.

His primary vote has slipped to 37.4 per cent, down from 38.9% at last year's election, which Michael Johnsen won on preferences despite a 15.6% swing against him on the primary vote.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union claims the latest poll result would be enough for Labor to win the seat. The Country/National Party has won every election in the seat of Upper Hunter since 1932. Former member, George Souris held the seat with a clear majority of 54.7% of the primary vote prior to his retirement at the 2015 election.

The AMWU says the government's decision to send train building contracts offshore has hurt its support in the Hunter where Downer EDI and the United Group operates. More than 72% of respondents to the poll strongly opposed the government's decision to import new trains from South Korea instead of building them here. While 84.5% agreed the government should be willing to pay more to build the trains locally if it creates jobs in NSW.

Michael Johnsen

Defence Department and Minister Marise Payne called on for Independent inquiry into Williamtown

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Australian Manufacturing Worker's Union are calling for an independent public inquiry into revelations yesterday the Defence Department knew about the contamination risk at Williamtown RAAF Base.

The scandal saw workers exposed on site to harmful chemicals as well as residents, with contaminated groundwater being pumped off the base into residential areas.

AMWU Secretary Tim Ayres says it is time the Defence Minister Marise Payne accounted for what her department knew and why action wasn't taken to protect workers and the community.

"Yesterday's Newcastle Herald revelations are an absolute scandal. It's clear now that the department of defence and inevitably the minister's office must have known that these products were doing enormous harm to workers, the community and the environment."

Ayres says it is unacceptable that the department knew about the risk and the damage it would cause, but decided to proceed anyway thwarting a cover up.

"There needs to be a proper investigation, and the Commonwealth government needs to come back to the community in the Hunter with a serious remediation and compensation package."