The Earthworker Cooperative is taking Australia’s manufacturing future into its own hands, with a new campaign designed to expand the number of renewable energy manufacturing jobs in Australia.
The campaign, called the 100,000 Australians Campaign, was reportedly launched successfully in Morwell, Victoria last month with a mission to grow jobs in the manufacturing industry in Australia.
The Campaign was launched to protect Australia’s manufacturing workers from the negative fallout from the carbon tax, and take advantage of the opportunities the tax will pose.
The Cooperative now plans to roll-out the Campaign on a national basis.
Dave Kerin, national coordinator of the 100,000 Australians Campaign, says the renewable energy sector holds much growth for Australia’s manufacturing future.
“We are going to grow Australian manufacturing jobs which produce the renewable energy goods and work our way out of the climate emergency,” he says.
“Starting with Morwell, Victoria, and then putting the same cooperatively owned factories across the carbon dependent areas of Australia, we are not waiting any longer while spoilers reduce Australia’s chances to pick up the manufacturing opportunities that will come once there is a price on carbon. Forget the blame, we want the jobs!
“Across Gippsland there is popular support for the Earthworker Cooperative’s push towards the first manufacturing plant, Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative, which will manufacture solar hot water systems.
“In the wage clauses of Enterprise Bargaining Agreements negotiated between unions and employers, workers will have the ability to collectively purchase the goods and services produced by the manufacturing cooperatives, reducing their bills towards zero, creating jobs which never leave our shores and which attach training with a long term future for our young.
“Earthworker Cooperative will enable 100,000 members, at $20 per member, to purchase the factory equipment for Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative, and we will launch this exciting project at Trades Hall in Melbourne on Thursday 11 August at 10:00 am sharp. Please join us.”
Earthworker Cooperative is made up of and owned by its member organisations, the names of which are not revealed on the organisation’s website.
It reportedly provides support to establish co-operatives and get them to the stage of production of environmentally and socially beneficial products, through administrative support, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements and through acting as a liaison with its sister body, Earthworker Finance (EF).