Unions march on Canberra

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 33

Unions march on Canberra

PA Sydney Australian Steel industry unions have lost their fight to stall almost 3000 retrenchments by BHP. Australian Iron and Steel and Tube Makers of Australia, in Newcastle and Wollongong. The president of the NSW Industrial Commission. Mr Justice Fisher, yesterday dismissed an application by the Federated Ironworkers' Association (FIA) which sought to "temporarily freeze" the retrenchments.

The FIA sought the moratorium pending the outcome of a State Government instigated Industrial Commission inquiry into redundancies in the industry.

Mr Justice Fisher said that the unions had not sufficiently justified their application. “On the material before me the retrenchments are a result of market forces dictating as a matter of commercial necessity, a marked reduction in output, and a concomitant need to reduce the labour force for which there is no work," said Mr Justice Fisher. “I find that there is a severe drop in the domestic market for steel and products coupled with uncertain-

ties about the continuation of exports •at satisfactorylevels. "As a result there is no work for some plants to do and both the plant and those who manned it are industrially redundant.”

Hundreds of New South Wales coal mine and steel workers will take their plea for the "right to work" to Canberra today in the hope of speaking with both Federal Government and Opposition parliamentarians.

The Central Councillor for the south coast Miners’ Federation. Mr Barry Swan, said that the protesters would be asking "why BHP and its subsidiary, Australian Iron and Steel, were being allowed to get out of their responsibilities to its employees and the areas in which they live."

“We will be asking why Australia's steel and coal can’t be protected like other countries, especially since BHP is continuing to assist steel industries in other countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia by providing technical knowledge and trained people," Mr Swan said.

The protesters; whose action is being spearheaded by

the continuing stay-down strike by 30 coal miners at the AIS colliery at Kemira, will begin their" rally in Canberra at about 3 p.m. New Zealand time today.

As their protest begins, the stay-down miners will be entering their 12th day underground in protest against the retrenchment this week of 384 coal mine workers from four AIS collieries on the N.S.W. south coast. AIS announced it had to retrench these workers because of the serious downturn in the steel industry. The AIS collieries provide coal for the Port Kemble steel works, which are also facing either the early retirement or retrenchment of up to 1000 workers by the end of this year. Mr Swan said not only were the steel and coal workers angry at the Federal Government but also at the silence of the Federal Opposition.

“The Labour Party seems more concerned about bottom of the harbour tax schemes than the livelihood, jobs, and destructions of Wollongong and Newcastle. It should divert its attention back to the issue of employment." Mr Swan said.