|
Issue No. 355 | 01 December 2006 |
Seven Year Itch
Interview: Flying High Unions: TUF on Toll Industrial: Forward to the Past Economics: Debt and the Economy Obituary: The Charlatanry of Milton Friedman Environment: Low Voltage Legal: The Fair Deal Review: A Little History
Global Campaign for Jailed Iranian Union Leader Bully Tactics Can�t Dull Protests Which Bank Slashes Work Rights? Sunday�s The Day For Future Rallies Case Dismissed: No Justice in WorkChoices China (S)trains Procurement Policy Historic Case Restores Security Final Hurdle for Medibank Sell-Off
The Soapbox Parliament Health
Boss With a Heart
Labor Council of NSW |
News China (S)trains Procurement Policy
But unions are still waiting for a broader policy on local content after a major train-building contract was awarded to a Chinese company. The procurement policy, announced this week, requires businesses bidding for $3.4 billion in SNW government to show they: - comply with state award conditions - allow union access for recruitment - open themselves to random inspections from the Office on Industrial Relations. But the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has questioned the governments commitment to local industry, after it emerged hundreds of recently commissioned rail carriages will be largely built by a Chinese company. A 3.6 billion contract was awarded two weeks ago to a Hunter Valley-based consortium headed by Downer EDI, the company responsible for building the Millennium trains. The AMWU union says EDI will only be responsible for the design and the final fit-out of the carriages. AMWU state secretary Paul Bastion told ABC he was bewildered that the government contract only required that 20 per cent of the carriages be built locally. "Where is their commitment to local industry, what is the proper policy settings for local content, are they going to weigh up just as much the social benefits of large infrastructure jobs going to New South Wales companies as well as for the simple economic benefits?" The NSW Government claims the carriages could not be built locally.
|
Search All Issues | Latest Issue | Previous Issues | Print Latest Issue |
© 1999-2002 Workers Online |
|