23 July 2008
The Australian Workers’ Union wants to put our members at front and centre of the emissions trading debate, the AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, said today.
The National Secretary made the comments after convening a RoundTable of the major employers of AWU members, where he released the union's response to the Federal Government's Green Paper on Carbon Reduction.
" We are keen to defend the living standards of the tens of thousands of AWU members working in the resources and energy industries," Paul Howes said when he released the 39 page AWU position paper. " That's why the union has played such a high profile role in the debate triggered by the Federal Government, after they were elected on a platform of tackling climate change.
A little over a week ago Paul Howes went to Geelong in Victoria to launch an earlier AWU research documenta major 32 page analysis on the future of the Australian aluminium industry commissioned from Per Capita, an independent think-tank committed to developing a progressive Australia.
" The union wants to prod our major employers into taking more pro-active stances on key climate change issues which could hurt the job security of AWU members."
Giving workers a stake in emissions trading
The AWU Position Paper argues that the Federal Government should consider giving emission permits not just to employers - but also to the workforce.
" If corporations are to get tradeable emissions trading permits - so should the workers in these industries," Paul Howes said.
" We see it as carbon insurance for workers in the emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries.
" As the price of carbon rises, so does the value of these permits and therefore of the workers who hold them."
Key Points from the AWU Position Paper
Other key points in the AWU Position Paper call for:
- Urgent action is required on climate change, and an Emissions Trading System is the way forward.
- Coverage should be as broad as possible, with petrol included.
- The risk of carbon leakage is real and needs to be addressed. Emission Intensive Trade-Exposed, industries are special cases that require a gradualist approach because there competitors in other countries do not face the same carbon price as they do. Therefore bringing these industries into an ETS carries special responsibilities in terms of providing assistance to protect future investment and current activities and needs to be conditional on progress in competitor countries
- A global agreement is vital for our ETS to make a difference over the medium and longer term.
" The AWU is doing what any self-respecting union should do. We are representing the interests of our members in a national debate of great importance," Paul Howes said.
Read earlier AWU commentary on Climate Change
Standing stronger together for Gladstone: Paul Howes opinion piece for The Gladstone Observer
AWU wants emissions permits for workers, not just corporations
Keep energy and resource jobs in Australia to cut global greenhouse
AWU Keeping working Australians in the debate about a green future and secure jobs
Union warns against being wrong-footed on Climate Change
USA must pressure China to adopt decent global emissions trading standards
AWU wants Govt to look at plan to trap CO2 under depleted offshore gas fields
All electoral matter is authorised by Paul Howes, National Secretary