AMWU: TONY ABBOTT AND DAVID JOHNSTON MUST BUILD NAVY SHIPS IN AUSTRALIA.

TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2014

Thousands of shipbuilding jobs are at risk as the Abbott Government fails to back Australian shipyards. The industry is crying out for support from the Government which has so far failed to commit to building our future submarine fleet and two badly needed Navy replenishment vessels here.

The Senate Economics Reference Committee has heard the evidence and recommends that both these projects be built in Australian shipyards. Several Coalition members, and Committee deputy chair Senator Edwards are at odds with the Government over this issue, and agree with Unions, shipbuilding companies and workers that taking this work off-shore would be a grave mistake.
Australia stands to lose vital industrial capability and highly skilled workers if the Abbott Government decides to turn its back on Australian workers and locally based shipbuilding companies.

Defence Minister David Johnston misled shipbuilding workers and their families before the last Federal Election when he promised to build our submarines at the ASC facility in Adelaide.

“Workers will not stand by and let the Government break such an important election promise,“ said AMWU National Assistant Secretary Glenn Thompson. “We will be doing everything we can to hold the Government to account over this important issue,” Mr Thompson said.

A rolling build program across a range of Navy projects is the only way to maintain shipbuilding jobs in several dockyards around Australia. Not only should the ships and submarines be built here, they should also be maintained here. To do otherwise, would undermine Australia’s sovereign capability and place our national security interests at risk.

The AMWU is calling on the Government to not exclude the ASC from bidding in any tender for the future submarine project and to allow Australian-based shipbuilders to tender for the Navy replenishment ships.

“Shipbuilding is a high technology capability that Australia needs to protect and foster,” Mr Thompson said.

“And the skilled jobs that the industry offers should be valued by the Abbott Government, rather than being discarded in the rush to meet its budget bottom line.”