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| ACTU's Ged Kearney, VTHC's Brian Boyd & John Setka. |
CFMEU VIC Secretary John Setka said that their support for this initiative- the Earthworker cooperative, is part of the union’s ‘green’ tradition.
“Since the Green Bans of the 1970’s construction workers have a long and proud history of leading the way in building a sustainable and equitable future.”
Mr Setka assisted in unveiling the first Earthworker Cooperative solar hot worker system at the Coburg Uniting Church facility, Kildonan. Unions, The Uniting church, green activists and small manufacturers have come together to offer a practical solution to the dual crisis in Australian manufacturing jobs and the environment.
“Today, far too many of the manufactured goods that go into Australian buildings are made overseas, usually with little thought to the human, social and environmental costs involved,” he said.
Coming off the international year of the cooperative 2012, this unique project is the first off its kind to move beyond protest, into real jobs and real climate solutions.
“Our involvement in the Earthworker Cooperative will help to begin the process of rebuilding the supply of Australian made goods, and especially manufacture of the renewable goods our country needs.
To date approximately 3-4% of Victorians have a solar panel on their roof. 5-6% of unionists. If that was taken to 30% by 2020 that would mean over 80,000 installations per year.
“Using clean energy products built for our conditions, made by Australian workers, will ultimately lead to the kind of buildings we all want to construct, live and work in,” said Mr Setka.
The distinguishing feature of the model is how the goods are sold. Unions and employers will include the solar hot water system as part of the Enterprise Agreements they negotiate.
“We intend to support this strategy because unions need to lead from the front now on jobs and sustainability, and Earthworker Cooperative is just one way we can begin to do that.”
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