AMWU: Shipbuilding Industry is too Important to Lose

The jobs of up to 1100 workers of Williamstown shipyard are under threat unless it wins more warship contracts in the next two years. The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has called on both sides of politics to stand up for the naval shipbuilding industry because it is too important for the national interest too lose.

Paul Bastian, the Union’s National Secretary, said that having the capacity to build Australia’s defence ships domestically will be undermined by a failure to bring forward the contracts flagged in the White Paper and maintain the jobs and skills in the industry. “Around the country we’re at risk of losing jobs, which in turn will mean losing the opportunity to build our economy and look after our national interest. We cannot afford to throw away the opportunity to have a highly skilled, strategically vital industry that can grow in the future as we requisition our navy fleet. We make great ships. We make world-class ships that not only meet the needs of our defence force but exceed the capability of foreign vessels while providing the confidence of Australian standards to our front line personnel.”

“We are an island nation – our borders are our seas. Having skilled people who can do this work provides a flow on of skills to other parts of the economy for a generation. It is unacceptable to Australians that we spend big on defence – but not realise the potential benefits to our nation of designing, building and maintaining naval vessels here. And it is incredibly short-sighted to argue that this is all too much at the moment and that cheaper options are available. Saving a quick dollar now will make us all the poorer in the long run – as we will lack the capacity, the skills, the income and the self-reliance that comes with large industries such as this one. Australia should be building its own ships here. We should be defending our people, our industry and our skills development by standing together and demanding that we have an industry that provide our nation’s needs. The national interest is simply not served by importing ships, by being dependent on other nations for the building and sustaining of our military hardware or by delaying projects that protect vital jobs, skills and the industry. This is bigger than the electoral cycle, all major parties must come together and bring these contracts forward,” said Mr. Bastian.

[mappress]

Press Release, May 20, 2013