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Issue No. 306 | 12 May 2006 |
Good Times
Interview: Out of the Bedroom Industrial: Cloak and Dagger Unions: Lockout! Legal: The Fantasy of Choice Politics: Labor Pains Economics: Economics and the Public Purpose Corporate: House of Horrors History: Clash Of Cultures International: Childs Play Culture: Folk You Mate! Review: Last Holeproof Hero
Workplace Cop Shrugs Shoulders Gerry Built Apartments Fall Behind Killer Bosses Swoop on Croweaters US: Thousands Fired For Joining Unions
The Soapbox The Locker Room Parliament
Budget Dividend The Real Truth About Independent Contractors
Labor Council of NSW |
News Hunter Collects on Jobs
The figures were confirmed when the NSW Government announced major rolling stock contracts would be awarded to either Goninans or EDI Rail, in an about-face that removed the prospect of off-shoring the giant rail deals.
AMWU state secretary, Paul Bastian, called the decision a "great win for Newcastle and the Hunter Valley". "The decision to keep this contract in NSW marks a significant change in the direction of public policy. It recognises the importance of keeping high skill jobs in the state," Bastiain said. He was responding to Premier Morris Iemma's announcement, last week, that work on 72 new trains and 600 carriages would be done at Hunter Valley heavy engineering shops. Last year, the state government released a short-list of four tenderers for a PPP contract to design, build and maintain its new rail fleet. Two of the contenders were likely to have their grunt work done on the cheap at overseas workshops. The AMWU swung into action, arguing offshoring would cost jobs, skills and opportunities in a region still trying to adjust to the loss of BHP's giant steelworks. The Union took its message to state MPs, the Treasurer, Newcastle's Lord Mayor, and the community, through local media and centrally-located billboards. Stop work meetings, rallies and leafleting of shopping centres and transport hubs backed the message. Bastian said last week's decision would mean at least 2000 high skilled jobs on the frontline, and a minimum of 1500 more in companies directly servicing the successful bidder. The consortia short-listed last week were Star Alliance (United Goninan and Mitsubishi Electric) and Reliance Rail (Downer EDI, ABN-Amro, Itachi and AMP Capital).
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