Julia Gillard will chair a new industry taskforce to ensure the manufacturing sector enjoys more job security.
The taskforce will be made up of 23 industry professionals, from unions, government and manufacturing companies operating in Australia.
Manufacturer representatives are: OneSteel chief executive Geoff Plummer; Holden chairman Mike Devereux; Thales managing director Chris Jenkins; Boeing president Ian Thomas; Agilent Technologies general manager Philip Binns; and Textor Technologies managing director Phil Butler.
The taskforce will also consist of decision-makers from: Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; Australian Council of Trade Unions; Australian Workers Union; Textile, Clothing and Footware Union; National Union of Workers; and Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout is also part of the group.
The move has got the thumbs-up from industry bodies, including the ACTU, with secretary Jeff Lawrence announcing the taskforce as a commitment to manufacturing.
“It is essential that the voices of Australian workers are heard as manufacturing confronts a difficult mix of circumstances that threatens jobs in the sector,” he said.
“It is important that representatives of workers, employers and Government are involved in this taskforce because manufacturing remains one of our most important industries.”
Lawrence says job insecurity in the sector is becoming a serious problem, and one that those involved in the industry – such as unions and businesses – should have a hand in fixing.
“Insecure work is a major issue facing the Australian workforce, with 40% of workers engaged in insecure employment, and it is especially prevalent for the manufacturing sector, where 65,000 job losses have occurred in the past few years,” he said.
“Frequently, those workers are unable to find permanent ongoing employment again.”
Lawrence says the industry is struggling against some hard knocks at the moment, including a high Australian dollar and the mining boom. However, the industry is still crucial for the well-being of Australians as it employs close to a million people.
“Manufacturing must be part of Australia’s future, if we are to keep a balanced economy that does not rise and fall solely on commodity prices,” he said.
“But it is essential that we support the industry and the workers that rely on it to make a living.”