Amwu news spring 2014 by Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union

SPRING 2014

AMWU

NEWS

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION

INSIDE - LOCA L C ONTENT IN OUR RA ILWAYS , P ORTS - A BATTOIR V IC TORY - COATES TA UGHT A LES S ON

Save Our Super – the problems with the Government’s changes Most of us rarely think about our super until we’re a year off from retirement. It’s one of those things we might glance over on our payslip, or vaguely be aware of money going into when we get our annual statement. But superannuation is a vital plank in our society’s social welfare system. Trade unions fought for superannuation more than 30 years ago, and proudly saw it introduced in the late 1980s. As workers, we gave up pay increases to see superannuation introduced. I remember debating the issue with my colleagues at the time. Why did we fight so hard? Because too many men and women – who’d worked hard their whole lives – were retiring with no savings. No support network. A small pension was all they got. We knew that in order to secure dignity in retirement we needed a compulsory, universal system to save for retirement one’s whole working life. Of course we still need the pension as a safety net. But workers deserve the dignity of a living wage in retirement. When superannuation was introduced, it was always planned that we would move to 12% of one’s income being paid by employers each year. But politics intervened. The rate was frozen at 9%, and the Howard Government introduced a range of measures that benefited the wealthy – tax breaks if you contributed extra; and an unfair tax system on super savings that benefitted highincome earners. When in Government, Labor made some effort to reform the system – they moved to increase the super

rate gradually to 12%, up 0.5% each year. And they introduced the Low Income Superannuation Contribution (LISC). This boosted the retirement savings of workers who earn $37,000 per year or less by cutting the tax rate and getting rid of any penalty for saving extra money. An important reform and one we wholeheartedly supported. But in early September we saw some dirty politics. Tony Abbott struck a deal to freeze the superannuation rate and abolish the Low Income Superannuation Contribution entirely. Another attack on workers; another attack on the people who can afford it least. Scrapping the LISC means millions of the lowest paid workers in Australia will now pay more tax on their super contributions than they do on their wages - and be the only workers who do. This will especially hit women, as they make up the majority of part time workers. I encourage you to get involved in the campaigns your branch will be running around this issue, and to get in touch with your Member of Parliament to ask them to support low-income workers, and support our superannuation.

Paul Bastian AMWU National Secretary

ATTACKS ON WORKERS’ RIGHTS BACK ON THE TABLE The union is standing up against Tony Abbott’s attempts to reintroduce elements of WorkChoices. The Fair Work Amendment Bill is soon to be debated in the Parliament. It will bring back individual contracts as a reincarnation of Australian Workplace Agreements, which we saw under WorkChoices, and which effected many of our members for the worse. To stop this legislation we must convince the Senate cross benchers to vote it down. Please take a minute to send an email to these senators: www.australianunions.org.au/stop_tony_abbotts_anti_worker_laws

Already, more than 20,000 Australians have sent an email to the Senators.

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Make sure you add your voice to the chorus and send an email as well.

AMWU NEWS SPRING 2014 AMWU News is the official publication of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, (registered AFMEPKIU) National Office, 133 Parramatta Road, Granville, NSW, 2142. Editor: Paul Bastian AMWU Communications Team: Tamsin Lloyd, Neil Wilson and Andrea Firehock. Design: dcmc Design, Melbourne. All information included in this publication was correct at the time of publication, but is subject to change at any time. Please contact your union organiser for updates. © AMWU National Office

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] Local Content Abattoir Victory Wonder Wall Anna’s sisters OZ POST Feature-Don’t Miss The Train 457 Visa meltdown Book-Worker Leadership DelegateLeonie Harris JP Made in Australia by AMWU members

AMWU PUTS HEAT ON NAPTHINE OVER LOCAL CONTENT

Local jobs first: AMWU Victorian State Secretary Steve Dargavel demands tighter controls to source local content on government projects.

The Napthine Government is risking over 1600 metal industry jobs by importing steel. MORE than 500 workers rallied to demand Victoria’s Coalition Government improve its record on local content for local jobs after it allowed the steel on a major government dock expansion to be brought in from overseas. The Napthine Government has allowed builder McConnell Dowell to source 27,000 tonnes of steel from South Korea, which means at least two major local suppliers with competitive bids are locked out, losing

the chance to shore up 1600 metal industry jobs. The AMWU led other unions to march to Webb Dock in Port Melbourne, vowing to campaign so the Napthine Government and Labor Opposition both commit to maximise local content on major infrastructure projects which are central to November’s state election. The unified chant from all unions said it all: “Our taxes – our jobs.” “We’ve seen the problem in

WA where structural steel is imported whilst local metalworkers are made redundant, they’ve done it in Queensland and now in Victoria,” said AMWU Victorian State Secretary Steve Dargavel. “We’ll be fighting back. If they don’t build it here then our jobs disappear.” There is enough foreign steel to employ hundreds of Victorian workers being unloaded at Webb Dock, as the state reels from job losses at Alcoa, Ford and Qantas and other

companies. Mr Dargavel said the slack attitude of the Napthine Government on adhering to local content guidelines is a huge threat to jobs in Victoria’s steel and manufacturing industries. “This Government wants to be re-elected on the jobs benefit of $27 billion of major state projects - but what is the point if many of the jobs are created overseas?” Mr Dargavel asked. The rally came shortly before the AMWU received information that Alstom had been excluded from the tender for a new contract for 25 passenger trains, despite its local content level being potentially far higher than rival bidders likely to import the trains. Mr Dargavel has had talks with the Victorian Labor Party over its policy supporting local content, after NSW Labor committed to a 20 per cent price preference for local businesses on all tenders for state projects, with a further five per cent for regional businesses.

MANUFACTURING MERGER TO MAKE US STRONGER

RAIL’S REVIVAL: LET’S NOT MISS THE TRAIN

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The start of October marked the beginning of a major transition to improve the AMWU’s service for our members, though you wouldn’t have come to work that day noticing any big difference. Advances in manufacturing technology mean that our technical members are working closer than ever with those in the skilled metal trades, an overlap which the AMWU’s National Conference voted last year to formally recognise. That came to fruition on October 1 when the Metals and Engineering section of the Union formally merged with the Technical, Supervisory and Administrative Division to form the new Manufacturing section.

The merger followed consultation among AMWU members of both areas in the past year, including preparation work in the aerospace, rail, shipbuilding, defence sectors, mining services and laboratories. Joint National Assistant Secretaries Glenn Thompson and Mike Nicolaides said it would mean that membership services and resources could be used more effectively. “The most important part of the merger is recognising that in any given workplace we are one union and we’re stronger together – no matter whether you work in white collar or blue,” said Mr Thompson. “Whether you’re in technical

and administrative or a skilled tradesperson, we all need to stand together at work,” said Mr Nicolaides. There has been increasing blurring between the work of members in the metals and TSA Division, particularly with changes to vocational qualifications and the continuing transfer of tasks from the public to private sectors. There will be no difference to the number of elected officials or their roles for the next five years. “There won’t be instant change to your contact with the union, to the people you know from National Office or those from your Branch who visit the site and you trust to represent you in negotiations,” Mr

Nicolaides said. “But it doesn’t make sense for two organisers to be sent to the one workplace with very similar tasks – this merger recognises that there is strength in unity.” “The new arrangement will allow us to build our union in the growing areas of engineering and scientific services,” he said. Mr Thompson also welcomed the new Manufacturing section of the union. “It is a great opportunity for the union to focus on building our capacity across the full membership and making our union a stronger voice right across our industry coverage,” he said.

BLOODY GREAT WIN FOR ABATTOIR RECRUITS

Solidarity wins: New union members at Fletcher’s abattoir stuck together during their long campaign for proper workplace recognition.

With the union being here for the workers, we’ve established a good foundation on which to build strength and further improve our agreement in future. Colin Cardwell

AMWU delegate Rod Todkill and David Rivett

Maintenance workers at Australia’s largest sheepmeat exporter have clinched a breakthrough deal which recognises their essential job to keep the abattoir running. The 28 tradesmen at Fletcher International near Dubbo reaped the benefit from joining the AMWU to win their own agreement. This recognises their work as different from the meatworkers they work alongside. Their new two-year deal brings a pay rise of 8.7 per cent initially, then 3 per cent in the second year with double time for fridge mechanics on stand-by. It took a nine-month campaign and the threat of Federal Court action

to chase years of unpaid allowances for working in bloody and potentially dangerous conditions before company chief Roger Fletcher settled with the AMWU. These allowances are included in pay rises of $90 a week for a first-year fitter and $50 for a firstyear apprentice – a great support to workers getting started in the industry. AMWU delegate Colin Cardwell said: “With the union being here for the workers, we’ve established a good foundation on which to build strength and further improve our agreement in the future. “This recognises our tough conditions, it’s a big site and we work on equip-

ment all over to keep it all going - in the roof, in the pits and in the blast freezer at minus 33 degrees.” The previous agreement had a fortnightly attendance bonus instead of wage rises, which suited meatworkers on a stable weekday roster but disadvantaged maintenance workers because of their varied work patterns. Fletcher is Australia’s largest sheep meat exporter, with 700 workers processing 45,000 sheep weekly for a halal market in 80 countries. AMWU organiser Geoff Wallace said the fitters, welders, storemen and general workers had persisted for five months with a ban on portable radios

across the massive site and withstood pressure from managers. “Many hadn’t had a pay rise in years, and those new to the union stuck like glue, they believed in each other,” he said. Mr Cardwell praised fellow delegates, particularly Rod Todkill and also David Rivett, who recently decided to leave Fletcher after shouldering much of the load in completing the deal.

TEENS MAKE UNION SITE THEIR WONDERWALL The AMWU’s Tasmanian branch have embraced the talents of a local artist and high school teens to transform the laneway side of our building into Hobart’s most vibrant new piece of street art. The laneway wall of the office had been a favourite for vandals, whose tagging and graffiti made it an eyesore. But rather than paying painters to cover the mess, Branch Secretary John Short thought about alternatives

which would give teens in the area a creative outlet. A call to the Glenorchy council opened the doors to meetings at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, an introduction to local street artist Jamin and a beautiful friendship for the AMWU with students at Montrose Bay High School. The 2014 Make Your Mark youth education initiative led Mr Short into talking concepts with the students and Jamin, which was enlightening for everyone.

“I went and talked to these young people about our union, what we’re about, our community values and we found a lot of common ground, especially about bullying,” Mr Short said. “Whether in the schoolyard or the workplace, everyone wants to get rid of it and that became a theme that the students worked on with the artist.” Jamin screenprinted images of Year 10 student Ayla Williams and her classmates, spreading them flying across the multi-coloured wall.

“It’s a terrific result, we’ve improved the building by reaching out to the council, the art gallery and our young people, to make it a real community effort.” Creative group: the AMWU’s John Short (2nd from left) with artist Jamin (3rd from left) and students and staff of Montrose Bat High School.

“I love art and wanted to get involved with something positive for the community,”Ayla said. Mr Short said: “It’s a terrific result, we’ve improved the building by reaching out to the council, the art gallery and our young people, to make it a real community effort.”

Inspiring legacy: past AMWU Vehicles participants in the Anna Stewart memorial program, (L:R) Leyyar Altuntas, Judy Blackwell, Diane Attard

THREE DECADES OF EMPOWERMENT FOR UNION WOMEN Career path: being in the first Anna Stewart program intake in 1984 inspired AMWU education officer Theresa Grima to achieve a career in trade unionism.

Inspiration, knowledge and solidarity are just some of the words that regularly come up as AMWU women mark the 30th anniversary of the union movement’s Anna Stewart program. AMWU Education Officer Theresa Grima was part of the group of 16 in 1984 to be the first Anna Stewart Memorial Program intake when, as a public sector union delegate, she was chosen for a placement at the Hospital Employees Federation in Melbourne.

“It was a powerful experience, seeing the militancy and strength of those women who were cleaners and general hospital workers,” said Ms Grima, who was inspired to make unionism her career. “I remember a single mum, Gaye Yuille, who thought being an organiser would be a great job but not for her because she had the kids. Gaye went on to be State Secretary of the Clerks’ Union.” Three Victorian auto industry participants said visiting other workplaces and meeting fellow women unionists had opened doors to the possibilities for women in the workplace if unified.

AMWU activists Diane Attard (Toyota), Judy Blackwell (Nissan parts-stores) and Leyyar Altuntas (Ford), said it gave them faith in women’s power to set their agendas. All are full time workers, having juggled that with caring for their children and grandchildren. “The Anna Stewart program showed me I’m not the only working mum, we all have common issues,” said Leyyar Altuntas, who did the course in 2008. Diane Attard who did the course a decade ago, said: “I loved it, it also showed me this union isn’t just about men, women are involved and can

play a leading role.” Judy Blackwell did the course in 2011. “In some ways you think you are alone, you think that your problems are special to your workplace,” she said. “But then you have nurses, teachers, police and public transport workers on your course and you realise a lot of issue are the same. “What was really useful was a lot of experienced women in unions came to speak about how they had come through in their jobs, what they did to fight discrimination and won rights in their workplaces.”

Who was Anna Stewart? Anna Stewart was a legendary unionist in the mid-1970s. She achieved the first maternity leave clause in a blue-collar award at the Furnishing Trades Union and won child care facilities for the Vehicle Builders Employees Federation - now the AMWU vehicles division. After her tragic death at just 35, the two-week women’s program began as a practical dedication.

COATES WAGE CUT DEFEATED Unions throw youth keys to work

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Members will urge a more constructive approach from Coates Hire after its workforce strongly rejected the company’s bid to cut next year’s wage rise by changing the collective national agreement. Coates’ bid to reduce the rise from 4.5 per cent to just 2 per cent was strongly opposed by union members. It would have cost them

an average of $2000 per year. Workers at Coates sites across Australia voted down the proposal in a ballot initiated by the company under the Fair Work Act. Delegates stood up to company pressure and said Coates should look to ease costs by consulting with the union rather than attacking wages and conditions

The union members will now push for Coates to participate in a working party to implement the new minimum wage and skills re-classification structure for its 1050 workers, due at the same time as the wage rise in April 2015. “Coates workers have decided ‘an agreement is an agreement’ so we now urge the management to respect their views and work

with the union,” said National Industrial Officer Don Sutherland. “The belligerent approach that Coates managers have taken towards the AMWU’s role, especially that of delegates, has not been helpful.” AMWU Victorian delegate Barry Kerrigan said the union wanted a fresh, positive approach from Coates Hire’s incoming CEO

Michael Byrne. “The guys are really proud they got this vote up,” Mr Kerrigan said. “The company has to change its attitude because a lot of skilled workers would be prepared to leave unless it improves. We hope the new CEO will have a chat and we can be left alone to do our jobs well.”

VISIT TO THE PILBARA – PAUL BASTIAN REPORT

UPDATE

After our visit the WA Branch has kept the pressure on and have succeeded in securing a WA Parliamentary inquiry into FIFO mental health and suicides. This is a huge victory – congratulations to all the members for keeping the pressure on.

In June I was fortunate to join WA Secretary Steve McCartney for a visit to the remote north-west, to meet with some of our members who work in the Pilbara. With the majority working on construction for offshore oil and gas projects, our members are a tight community in the area. If you’ve never been to Australia’s north-west, it’s a harsh but magnificent environment, genuinely in ‘the middle of nowhere’ and the scale of the construction projects dominate the coastline and horizon. Although the North West has seen a huge amount of development in recent years, it’s still a frontier in many ways, especially when it comes to Australian employment. Steve was telling me that he remembers working on North

West projects through the 1980s and 1990s, and that ‘back in the day’ the industry standards were 16 weeks on and one off. Amazing to think about – such a long time away. Steve was part of the struggles that led to the current standard FIFO roster of four weeks on one week off – something I know he is justifiably proud of. We met with members at four sites in the region, and the single most important issue was the remoteness and the need for family friendly rosters. Having been denied the opportunity to bargain collectively they committed to getting the best outcome for members and their families. Our delegates and officials that work here do a magnificent job with difficult multinational employers. Steve and I visited the region as part of the Union’s campaign for family-friendly rosters for FIFO workers. Fly-In-Fly-Out is a challenging way to work for anyone, as we’ve seen with a spate of suicides amongst the FIFO population. Sadly as I write this another has occurred on

the Gorgon project. One life lost is one too many. The West Australian AMWU – along with other unions and the WA Labor Party – have been pushing for a Parliamentary Inquiry into FIFO suicides, to make sure Government and employers provide the services and support these workers need. Currently members work a 4 – 1 roster, with 4 weeks at work (working every day) and one week off, at home with their family and community. Members are standing together and asking the company for a 3 – 1 roster, and are willing to sacrifice pay if necessary. The members told us that they view time with their families to be a higher priority than salary. This is a crucial fight that members of the union are waging - they are the living embodiment of union values: standing together for a better life at work and at home. As well as the rostering issue, we heard feedback about the safety and conditions on site, and mental health issues that can occur. Visiting the Cape Lambert sites hits home the

harsh conditions that these members work in, and how challenging the FIFO life is – away from your family and support network for weeks at a time. While up north Steve McCartney and I were fortunate to have meetings at many union worksites, and saw the improvements that strong unionism had made on the sites. We also met the members who have built our union from the ground up in this remote area – that has exploded in less than 10 years. As Steve and the members showed in the 1980s and 90s, by standing together we can win better conditions for FIFO workers. Just as with all struggles, we will succeed or fail based on our unity and solidarity on the ground. It means keeping people informed, it means talking to your mates and it means setting up workplace structures that bring people in and give people a say. If our history teaches us anything, it’s that we win together. We’ve done it before and we can do it again. It was a fantastic visit and I hope to be back soon. Hats off to our members in the north-west.

Print Steps Up to Save Aus Post The AMWU’s Print Division led a combined union and industry delegation to Canberra in late August, warning of the devastating impact if Australia Post implements proposals to cut the frequency and increase the prices of letter deliveries. National Print Secretary Lorraine Cassin joined with the Communication Workers’ Union and Industry representatives to lobby MPs. The union is opposing the proposal of Australia Post Chief Executive Ahmed Fahour to reduce its Community Service Obligation to deliver daily mail to 98 per cent of Australian households, which requires changing federal law. This could leave most people only receiving mail two or three times a week. “It threatens daily communication for the hundreds of thousands of Australians that rely on our postal service.”

“We are very concerned that ending daily mail deliveries threatens 400 members’ jobs in mail clearance houses,” said Ms Cassin. AMWU workers handle the sending of millions of letters, bills, bank statements and other vital personal information every month. Sticking up for pensioners and everyone not online was AMWU Retired Members’ official John Mathieson, who said millions of Australians rely on daily post as their primary form of communication and connection to the world. A study done for Australia Post gives options including cutting deliveries to as few as three days a week or making consumers pay $1 or more to assure next-day

delivery of a letter – a ‘two-class’ mail system. Independent research found Mr Fahour is exaggerating projected letter declines in order to justify the changes, despite increased parcel volumes from online shopping keeping Australia Post profitable. Ms Cassin said the proposed changes could have a huge impact on mailhouse costs and employment. “The previous oversight of bulk mail prices and services by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission should be restored,” she said. “Any change to the structure, frequency and price of mail services must be critically scrutinised by all MPs.” The delegation included the Communications Workers Union, employers of the Printing Industries

Association, major mailhouse firms and licensed Post Office owners. The group aims to join with MPs for a bi-partisan review of Australia Post’s future, with proposals presented for action by the Senate Communications Committee. Ms Cassin led the delegation to meet cross-bench Senators including Nick Xenophon, John Madigan, Ricky Muir and Jackie Lambie, as well as Opposition frontbenchers and senior Abbott Government communications advisers. Ms Cassin is calling on the government to establish a process so that Australia Post has to consult with stakeholders and develop a plan moving forward. Any member can express their views to Australia Post here: https://conversation.auspost. com.au/national

We are very concerned that ending daily mail deliveries threatens 400 members’ jobs in mail clearance houses.

RAIL’S REVIVAL: LET’S It’s time for governments to make smart investments in rail manufacturing across Australia THE peak hour crawl on our city’s roads has extended to the sardine crush on the rails. Every morning and evening, train carriages in most Australian capitals are packed cheek to jowl with commuters who thought this would be a better way to go to work than sitting in traffic gridlock. The return to train commuting caught most politicians unawares, Melbourne leading the trend by nearly doubling the number of urban rail passengers from 1999 to 2011. At this rate, Australia will need 3,000 new passenger carriages in the next decade. State Governments could spend $30 billion on updating rolling stock to 2030, which could mean thousands of future rail jobs if even half was allocated locally. Industry body the Australian Railways Association points out that Australia has world-class expertise in producing train windows, air-con and seating, plus driverless train technology and advanced signaling systems. But State Governments have increasingly had their train fleets manufactured overseas despite having the capability and skilled workforces at home. Rail is being rejuvenated worldwide, but with no help from the road-obsessed Abbott Government. The Australian industry’s 15,000 workers, manufacturers and 330 supplier firms are at a junction. With Victoria, NSW and Queensland facing elections in the next nine months, Australia can ill-afford politicians addicted to the false economy of the cheapest short-term tender while communities suffer growing, chronic unemployment. For every local job created in rail manufacturing directly, it supports four other components jobs. In January, Queensland’s Newman Government decided to offshore the $4.4 billion of work on Brisbane’s new 75 trains to multinational Bombadier, after Downer at Maryborough could not match the price. Now Brisbane’s trains will be made in India. Downer’s Maryborough shop is surviving by completing a new tilt train to replace The Sunlander and a $160 million contract for 15 three-car units – for Perth’s

network, not Brisbane’s. Premier Campbell Newman’s offshoring decision came as hundreds of job losses were lost at Aurizon’s Redbank shops and Townsville depots as the privatised former QR National abandons passenger rail for freight. AMWU National Rail Coordinator Finbarr Dowling says there is a better track - to ‘design, build and maintain’ our suburban, country and freight trains here by a consistent flow of orders to retain a skilled workforce. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the challenges are similar to naval shipbuilding. Elections are a good time to highlight the opportunity that rail provides to help autoparts makers diversify and to potentially re-employ thousands of car industry workers. “There are major rail purchases of urban passenger rolling stock coming up in Victoria and in NSW, this is taxpayer’s money

“We have the expertise, the companies and workshops to manufacture the trains “ – AMWU official Finbarr Dowling

and we have the expertise, the companies and the workshops to manufacture the trains,” Mr Dowling said. The AMWU wants a national rolling stock plan to overcome 140 years of parochial colonialstate politics, one legacy being nine rail gauges. It’s long overdue that the states forge partnerships to co-ordinate their rolling stock replacement orders for freight and suburban fleets. Large, long-term orders would give multinational train manufacturers more incentive to beef up their facilities here, as orders of 180 cars (30 six-car suburban train sets) will help keep the cost per car down to a competitive $3 million. The union convened an all-states conference of delegates in May, from big players including Downer, United Group, Alstom, Bradken and Aurizon. Delegates urged every AMWU member to get active in a national campaign to change the political mindset, based on the AMWU NSW ‘Build Them Here’ campaign.

LAST month NSW members presented NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson a petition with 12,000 signatures from the Hunter region. It’s crunch time for transport in NSW, with the Coalition Government setting aside $2.8 billion for rail. But its scrapping of the longstanding 30 per cent weighting to local manufacturers has been a calamity for rail and bus workers. Victoria also has a 30 per cent local content target, but under the Napthine Coalition it seems token. “The problem is your local content has no teeth, there’s no penalties. I’m not aware of any follow-up if it’s not fulfilled by the successful bidder,” said an experienced industry figure.

It was only in 2013 that Victoria introduced post-contract verification. The NSW Baird Government isn’t expected to announce a decision until just before next year’s election on the contract for 65 new intercity trains. But unlike Sydney’s Waratah trains, these are off-the-shelf models and may be fully imported. That work is desperately needed in Newcastle, where Downer in the past year had dropped its workforce from 780 to 140 as it completed the last of the Waratah trains. Nearby, United Group has also scaled down it’s workforce from 350 when they turned out the Oscar suburban trains to about 150 now. Existing work is only likely to last until Christmas. In the past, the import mentality has not only been confined to conservative politicians. In NSW, the AMWU had to fight hard to secure just 20 per cent of the work on 78 of the Waratah trains under a Labor Government. “People keep saying we can’t compete because of our wages, but the workforce has continually lifted its skill, quality and efficiency. We’ve got a lot of top quality local parts, it’s a matter of the management at Downer getting more timeefficient to minimize delays,” said AMWU delegate Shaun Goss Under union pressure, NSW Labor has committed to a Local Jobs First policy of 20 per cent price preference discount for local bidders over foreign competitors, plus 5 per cent extra for regionally based workshops. We are also advocating that at least 15 per cent of the new employees hired as a result of this support must be apprentices and trainees. AMWU delegate from the UGL Uniport maintenance depot at Sydney’s Auburn, Mark Pearce, said failure to recruit and retain apprentices due to lack of a continuous build program was a key obstacle to future viability. An industry report seven years ago estimated the industry nationally needed 500-700 new trades people and 340 engineers a year. It hasn’t happened. “We have an ageing workforce in rail, we have far too few apprentices so we’re in danger of losing our skills at a time when this country will need a vast number of passenger trains,” Mr Pearce said.

S NOT MISS THE TRAIN RAIL FACTS:

- Yearly turnover $4 billion - About 330 firms employing over 15,000 people - 3000 new carriages at $9 billion over next decade - Rolling stock fleet growth from 4,000 carriages now to 11,000 over next 30 years, cost $30 billion - Train passenger numbers up 12 per cent 2008-12 - Lost productivity from traffic jams $15 billion a year. LOCAL CONTENT:

The US requires 60% on components and higher on final assembly. China – 70%, and the European Union – 50% Victorian Coalition Government – 30% VICTORIA faces an election in just weeks but the Napthine Government’s record on local procurement for Government projects is poor. The Coalition’s acid test is 25 next-generation trains (with 150 cars) worth $376 million, needed for its Pakenham-Cranbourne rail corridor.

The state has a skilled rail workforce and a variety of giant, largely underused manufacturing and maintenance shops capable of building these trains in Ballarat, Newport and Dandenong. But in a deeply disturbing move, the Napthine Government has

handed over the tender process for the trains to the private consortium in the Public Private Partnership, headed by Hong Kong’s MTR. In August the consortium excluded a bid by Alstom to do the work at its Ballarat workshops, which has 70 local jobs but is due to run out of work in 2015. Those in the race at the time of writing were two foreign firms with links to MTR - China North Rail and Korea’s Rotem. Alstom is presently working on eight X’Trapolis-model trains for Melbourne’s network. AMWU members at Alstom said winning the 25 new trains would mean 25 more jobs for Ballarat, increased local content to above 50 per cent and over 100 new potential jobs at parts suppliers. AMWU member Lucas Ellingham said: “We can’t understand it. The last group of seven X’Trapolis trains we delivered were on budget and well ahead

of schedule, we’ve boosted the local content a lot, so why wasn’t the company given a look in on these 25 new trains for Pakenham-Cranbourne?” China North Rail has enlisted another local manufacturer Bombadier, with a factory in Dandenong, to be its subcontractor so it can nominally meet Victoria’s 30 per cent local content rule. AMWU State Secretary Steve Dargavel said it was a disgrace that at a time of a manufacturing employment crisis in Victoria, the Napthine Government had handed over responsibility on procurement for these trains to a largely foreign, private consortium. The heat is now on the Coalition to reject the possible offshoring, with the decision a critical pointer to a future on where the 600 new rail cars Victoria will need in the next decade will be made. The AMWU is campaigning hard to get specific local content

commitments on rail out of both major parties before Victoria’s poll. Alstom’s Ballarat manager Jim Morris said the key issue in Australia was a lack of consistent work orders which made it tougher to be fully cost competitive with big shops overseas. “It’s either famine or feast here unfortunately,” said Mr Morris. Labor’s Victorian leader Dan Andrews says he’s well aware of the problem. “Industry doing these short orders doesn’t give certainty and it doesn’t encourage investing in skills and plant,” he said. “We need a national plan that gets some scale into rolling stock orders.” His challenge if he becomes Premier is to change a long tradition of political railway journeys which rarely last beyond the next election – and end at the state border.

OPEN SLATHER ON 457 VISA ABUSE The AMWU has found new rorting of 457 Visas by resources contractors, adding to evidence the Abbott Government’s wilful neglect has opened the foreign worker system to massive abuse. The union is fighting for a fair go for manufacturing workers in the wake of 12-year high unemployment. This comes as official figures show a six per cent increase in the number of 457 Visa workers in Australia in the year to March 2014. In recent developments: *Our WA branch found enough jobless metalworkers in 30 minutes to fill skilled jobs that multinational resource contractor CB&I claims it spent six months trying to recruit Australians for *Hastings Deering told our Queensland officials it had to give equal opportunity

to short-term 457 Visa workers with permanent local employees when deciding on redundancies *AMWU National Secretary Paul Bastian led the charge at the ACTU, calling for an urgent Senate Inquiry into the skilled migration crisis *A Government document estimated tens of thousands of skilled migration applications each year could be fraudulent, as basic Immigration Department enforcement and checking collapses under cutbacks. Mr Bastian said: “The Abbott Government has been stripping the Immigration Department of staff and resources so that it is unable to properly administer or police the foreign worker visa program. “A Senate Inquiry should focus on ensuring that there is a transparent and regulated

system.” The Coalition Government has relaxed controls that required employers to prove advertising of local positions before gaining permission to import 457 Visa workers. It is also allowing companies to bring in big groups of workers under a single visa application. Steve McCartney and the WA Branch revealed that CB&I want to import 30 foreign workers as it builds Chevron’s $54 million LNG plant on Barrow Island, claiming they can’t find locals for the jobs despite interviewing plenty with appropriate jobs skills. “This incident confirms our long-held view that companies like Chevron and the broader resources industry are misleading politicians and the community into thinking there is a skills shortage, to win political support for their desire to bring in overseas workers,” said WA State

Secretary Steve McCartney. AMWU Queensland-NT Secretary Rohan Webb also lashed out at the Abbott Government for allowing Australia’s first “designated area migration agreement” for the Northern Territory amid claims the new Ichthys gas project could create a shortage of labour in Darwin. The Abbott Government is also planning to allow employers to apply to pay foreign workers up to 10 per cent less than they were paying Australian workers for the same job. “The Federal Government’s decision to recklessly open up the gates to foreign workers when Australian workers are losing their jobs is irresponsible and out of touch,” said Mr Webb. “This isn’t the fault of those workers – it’s the fault of an ill-conceived visa system.”

The Coalition Government has relaxed controls that required employers to prove advertising of local positions before gaining permission to import 457 Visa workers.

MORE THAN ECONOMIC UNITS

OPINION – Brad Chilcott, National Director, Welcome to Australia Much of the political debate about Australia’s 457-Visa program is focused on the risk to Australian jobs or on the potential for exploitation of workers and rorting of the system. While the conversation often degenerates into a divisive argument about ‘foreign workers’ in our labour market – language which inflames prejudice and reinforces ‘here to steal our jobs’ stereotypes – there are other ways in which the temporary work visa system erodes our social cohesion and fails to extend fairness to all. It is easy for government and business to see a temporary workers as economic units rather than people - members of a family, a community and a society. They’re here to perform a certain economic task and as long as that outcome is achieved then they have served their purpose. When we reduce a worker to an economic unit, their dependents partners and children - become even less than that. They serve no purpose to the employer of the primary visa holder. And because we imagine that they’ll leave Australia once their economic purpose has been completed, governments have not considered how to provide the kind of settlement services they need. The fact is that many 457-

Visa holders and their dependents are future Australian citizens. About half will become permanent residents. Others stay in years rather than months. Spouses and family members make up a huge percentage of temporary work visas awarded each year. About 65% of spouses are female; many are unskilled and unable to speak English. It is essential in discussing the temporary work visa program that we remember that we’re not only considering implications for our labour market, but also for the children and partners of workers. We must also consider the capacity of the communities they reside in to help them participate in Australian life. Our 457 Visa program allows spouses of visa holders to work, but they and their dependents are not eligible for settlement assistance and receive few government services. They don’t get employment services, English classes or Medicare. In NSW and the ACT there is a charge to attend school. That’s why NSW has the lowest level of school engagement for families here on 457 visas. It undermines their children’s futures and likely contravenes the UN’s Convention on the

Rights of the Child. Given that half the people on 457 Visas will become permanent residents, denying these services is shortsighted and harmful to them, their families and to our shared future. Temporary workers and their families are members of our community now and for our long-term future. It’s essential that we understand they deserve the same kind of support as any other new arrival, especially when their families don’t have the opportunity for relationship-building and belonging that employment can bring. Government and employers must work together to extend services that enable full participation in Australian life. English lessons, employment services, medical services and community engagement programs are essential. It is time to move beyond the divisive, dehumanising rhetoric and practices that reduce temporary workers to profit-making opportunities by ensuring they can be healthy, integrated and contributing members of our society. Welcome To Australia is a community group helping asylum seekers, refugees and other new arrivals to Australia in the spirit of our nation’s diversity, compassion and generosity. www.welcometoaustralia.org.au

Book Review: WORKER LEADERSHIP By Fred Stahl The comeback of American manufacturing in recent years has been one of the brightest parts of the US recovery postGFC and an inspiration for Australians who understand that offshoring our industries and skills isn’t the answer. But the human factor on factory workfloors is the true backstory behind GE and other US giants prospering, some clawing back operations from Asia. Many have re-discovered their ‘secret weapon’ – trusting the initiative, inside knowledge and plain old American know-how among their employees. That’s what made their products great in the first place. Worker Leadership by former Boeing executive Fred Stahl is the

compelling story of how the people at major agricultural machinery corporate John Deere saved it from plunging productivity and ruin – and changed their work lives. It was an unlikely candidate, an authoritarian workplace which in the late 1980s still had signs on the factory walls: ‘You will not assault a member of management’ and ‘No card playing during breaks.’ Executive Dick Kleine knew the punitive, secretive management culture he grew with was nasty and it was broken. He had those signs torn down, as he understood that everyone wants to like their job, wants to be fulfilled – and respected. Kleine ditched antagonism and tried trust. He reached out to the experienced workers in each area for input, then handed over the running of production directly to them. He redesigned the factory with them. The workforce successfully adapted Toyota’s famed lean production system, efficient but top-down, to their US culture of rugged individualism and initiative.

First Klein’s way turned around the hay-bale machinery factory in Iowa, then saved the main John Deere agricultural machinery works in Illinois. Productivity doubled, total output tripled and John Deere became a template for US manufacturing reform. Americans call it ‘can do’, in Australia those who ‘have a go’ win respect. At a time when Australian firms keep sending production overseas and increasingly resort to lock-outs and heavy-handed tactics to show who is ‘boss’, this human productivity tale is instructive. Worker Leadership is an encouraging tale for unionists, but should be required reading for managers yet to wake up and smell the US coffee. The AMWU has 30 copies of Worker Leadership to give away. Please email news@amwu.asn.au with your name, home address and membership number or mail an entry to AMWU News, 2nd floor, 251 Queensberry St., Carleton South, Vic, 3053.

UNION NEWS IN BRIEF

APPRENTICE FUTURE PRINT EXCEEDS TARGETS Union member Kanwar Sandhu is among 194 new apprentices pressing ahead into a hi-tech future as the AMWU-backed Future Print training program continues to exceed its targets. He is gradually mastering a huge flexographic press turning out 80,000 meters of coloured packaging every shift, at Amcor Flexibles in Melbourne. It’s one of 93 businesses to have embraced the two-year Future Print pilot scheme as a new way to train the next generation of printers, with the scheme’s 2014 target numbers already exceeded. “I’ve been here five years as a printer’s assistant but now I finally have an apprenticeship, I’m learning more about the big flexographic printer,” said Mr Sandhu. The Future Print program was set up a year ago as a pilot for competencybased apprenticeship progression, which is to become the basis of the print industry’s future training. The joint initiative of the AMWU and the Printing Industries Association of Australia (PIAA) is designed to have assigned 240 apprentices by July 2015, when the Federal Government will assess its results.

AMWU THROWS YOUTH THE KEYS The AMWU has puts the pedal to the metal to accelerate the chances of disadvantaged people driving into the world of work. The union’s WA branch handed over a new Holden to the Swan Emergency Accommodation service (SEA), which will use the car in its work with homeless youth and indigenous groups. WA State Secretary Steve McCartney said getting young people mobile by learning to drive was crucial to helping them become job-ready. The car would mean SEA could run a learner drivers’ course, making a licence a reality for people who could not afford lessons or access to a car. Mr McCartney said the union was keen to help young people who were under extra pressure by the Abbott Government’s cutting of unemployment benefits. ”We will attempt where possible to ensure that driver training was connected with training and employment, especially in local manufacturing industries,” he said.

AUSREO WORKERS THANK COMRADES AMWU members at Ausreo, locked out for 10 weeks, walked back through the gates with their heads held high after successfully securing a new deal. The 25 AMWU members were vindicated after Ausreo management agreed to guaranteed wage rises in talks involving delegates and senior union officials. It was a satisfying

outcome for the members, who kept a vigil outside the company’s Wetherill Park site in Sydney. Ausreo was forced back to the table as community support snowballed nationally, with massive backing from AMWU comrades, Unions NSW and Labor MPs both federal and state. Delegate Dennis Ngo said the 25 wanted to thank thousands of unionists who had given moral and financial support.

The AMWU members have pay increases and better processes on bullying and harassment under the three-year agreement. NSW State Secretary Tim Ayres said: “The courage of these workers, combined with the huge support we received from the broad union movement, means we were able to fight for, and win, a great outcome.

C O N TA C T S

DELEGATE PROFILE

AMWU National Office Location: Level 4,133 Parramatta Road, Granville Postal: PO Box 160, Granville, NSW 2142 (02) 8868 1500 2nd Floor, 251 Queensberry St, Carlton South, VIC 3053 (03) 9230 5700 NSW Branch Location: Level 1, 133 Parramatta Road, Granville Postal: PO Box 167, Granville, NSW 2142 (02) 9897 4200 Albury/Wodonga (02) 6024 1099 Newcastle (02) 4954 3215 Western Region (02) 6337 7162 Wollongong (02) 4229 7611 VIC Branch 1st Floor, 251 Queensberry St, Carlton South, VIC 3053 (03) 9230 5700 Albury/Wodonga (02) 6024 1099 Ballarat (03) 5332 2910 Bendigo (03) 5442 5101 Dandenong (03) 9701 3044 Geelong (03) 5229 9358 Latrobe (03) 5134 3306 Portland (03) 5523 2525 Shepparton (03) 5822 2510 QLD Branch Location: 366 Upper Roma Street, Brisbane Postal: PO Box 13006 George Street, QLD 4003 (07) 3236 2550 Gladstone (07) 4972 5319 Mackay (07) 4953 0550 Rockhampton (07) 4927 1487 Townsville (07) 4771 5960 SA Branch 1st Floor 229 Greenhill Road, Dulwich, Postal: GPO BOX 1051, Adelaide SA 5001 (08) 8366 5800 Whyalla (08) 8645 7115 WA Branch 121 Royal Street, East Perth, WA 6004 (08) 9223 0800 Bunbury (08) 9721 7933 Henderson (08) 6498 9382 Karratha (08) 9185 4078 TAS Branch 28 Station Street, Moonah, TAS 7009 (03) 6228 7099 Burnie (03) 6431 1344 ACT Office Canberra

LEONIE HARRIS Electrolux, South Australia I’ve been a delegate at Electrolux for five years. I’m a team leader in charge of 16, making under bench ovenscookers and we’re proud of what we do. We make an average of 1200 per day in a facility at Dudley Park. I’m also a Justice of the Peace, which has assisted my union role in helping our multi-cultural workforce. A lot of people come to me over immigration matters or to witness their documents. They’ve got family concerns and they often share them with me, so I’m seen as a neutral person they can talk to. Our workforce is very experienced, very skilled and last year we achieved a really good EBA, including a family-friendly nine-

day fortnight and a decent pay rise. The average age here is 50 yearsold, with half the workforce being here over 20 years – including me. We’re holding our own but a lot of members here really worry about their future. There’s a continual push for casualisation and it is difficult to recruit among casual workers. Most of the issues I deal with are connected with personal stress - health, alcohol problems, even domestic violence. The safety committee we sit on has developed a ‘safety corner’ in the factory. A theme has been men’s health and it’s been successful in providing information and help. I’m a ‘people person’ and the best part of being a delegate is being able to help people out. You must

have a deep respect for your fellow members, that’s fundamental. And you have to keep a level head in tricky situations, get the facts and assess them calmly. I like to fix things early, see potential problems and head them off before they get to HR. It helps as a team leader that I can get around to different areas of the factory and talk to a lot of people. I’ve done my Level 4 AMWU delegate training and I’ve got a women’s council coming up soon. I find the training really helpful; it opens your eyes to the challenges of other manufacturing industries. Mixing with other delegates gives you strength and confidence and keeps you up to date with all the issues. The AMWU treats training seriously and you really can see how effective it is with the results our delegates have at Electrolux.

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