Jul 24, 2014
If you want to test the value of navy shipbuilding to local jobs and businesses just ask James Melmoth, Paul Voss and Mark Schreuder.
They are among a dozen displaced Victorian workers from the auto and aluminium industries fortunate to find a temporary safe port in Williamstown, where BAE System has taken on extra trades to complete the navy’s giant Landing Helicopter Docks.
They recently won 12-month contracts as mechanical fitters completing the second LHD ship and are relishing the creative learning curve of fitting out areas such as the bridge and exhaust system.
It’s a huge relief for Mark and Paul, who were among 700 workers made redundant at Alcoa in Geelong.
But their futures depend on the Federal Government granting enough new work to local shipbuilders, possibly through the new patrol boats, to give them a chance of contract renewals or permanency after the LHD project finishes.
“My partner and I have five kids between us, she’s on Workcover right now so we’d really be down to nothing without this, living on my redundancy payment,” said Mark, an Alcoa worker for 26 years.
“There’s nothing in Geelong now, so we know how important it is for workers and the community in Melbourne’s west to keep work at this dockyard.”
His family obligations mean that resources work in WA or Queensland would be a last resort for Mark.
And Paul, a few years out of his apprenticeship, prefers to gain experience at BAE rather than trying to adapt to the exhausting FIFO lifestyle far from parents and friends.
James was given three days’ notice of redundancy at Holden’s engine plant at Port Melbourne after 16 years at GMH.
The hammer blow came three days after getting a mortgage for his family’s new home.
“I couldn’t find work for five months and it’s very lucky I had an understanding bank manager - we’ve got a young one and a baby on the way,” he said.
“This place has saved us but if we don’t hear of any more projects by Christmas, it might not last.
“If you employ our shipyard workers rather than sending work overseas, half the wages will end back in the Government’s pocket in the tax we all pay – that has to be better than paying out more unemployment benefits.”
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