Saving regional jobs : AWU leaders talk lower-carbon standards
01 August 2008
The AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, today begins a national tour of regional centres to build grassroots understanding of the implications of the move to lower-carbon standards for AWU members’ jobs, and for the living standards of Australian families outside the capital cities.
 Paul Howes ( 2nd from right) in Gladstone meets AWU members & local MP Chris Trevor (left |
Mr Howes said he wants the Federal Government to provide support for Gladstone-based companies to ensure they continue to provide products which the community demands - but using the lowest carbon intensity methods.
AWU national leaders visit Gladstone
"We want the Gladstone region's existing industries to regroup, rebuild and thrive by investing in environmentally friendly technology. That will mean the Government issuing permits to help corporations bridge over to low-carbon technologies of the future," Paul Howes said.
The AWU National Secretary will visit all states to talk to AWU members about how they want their union to respond to the issues regional Australia faces coming out of the Green Paper on Climate Change.
Mr Howes will be joined on the first stop of the national tour, the visit today to Gladstone in Queensland, the carbon capital of Australia, by the Queensland AWU Secretary and AWU National President, Bill Ludwig.
The AWU is Australia's principal resources and energy union. est carbon emissions corporations are based outside of our capital cities
Most AWU members live and work in regional Australia and most of these regional AWU members are on the frontline of the emissions crisis employed in industries like alumina, cement, steel, oil and gas, bauxite and iron ore mining.p>" We are working very closely with the Federal Government on the urgent question of climate change. We also want to work closely with regional communities, like Gladstone, who will feel the brunt of climate change if planned new laws are poorly framed.
" A lot of our biggest carbon emissions corporations are based outside of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne - outside of our capital cities. The AWU knows that by standing stronger together we can make sure that capital city dwellers understand the concerns of working families in regional Australia.
Looking for practical local solutions to win job security in face of global crisis
" I hope that by going out to regional centres, to meet with AWU members, and local community leaders, the union can find the practical solutions which will both help to green our planet - and keep our regional economies alive and thriving.
" Gladstone is the first stop on my national regional tour because it is the carbon capital of Australia. Gladstone - after 40 years of economic growth - would probably be the worst hit regional centre if we don't get legislation which helps and supports the region's industries to rebuild their existing enterprises using environmentally friendly technology.
" I believe that it will be input from my regional tour which will help the AWU frame a top notch submission to Kevin Rudd, and Penny Wong, on how we best defend good local jobs. This submission is due in September and I will be urging community leaders in regional Australia, as well as all my members, to get informed and actively involved in this next stage of the community debate..
Carbon insurance for working Australians
" At a ground-breaking conference of industry leaders, hosted by the AWU, we underlined a strongly held view that a well thought out carbon reduction plan should ensure on-going job security for our members if the Federal Government supported existing corporations in their shift to the low-carbon technologies of the future," Paul Howes said.
The AWU plan also included a proposal to allow workers in emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries to get significant nest eggs, in the form of carbon insurance, if the Federal Government adopted our ideas on carbon reduction in the event of carbon leakage.
In Gladstone the AWU National Secretary, Mr Howes, released preliminary estimates for the carbon insurance plan for Australian workers.." In the case of the more than 100 workers employed by the local cement industry this could be worth, for each worker, up to an average of $65,000 if the activity ceased immediately," Paul Howes said.
The AWU economic unit's figures, are based on industry data, and the current information available about the proposed emissions trading scheme, assuming a carbon permit price of $20 on the production of clinker. These figures will vary from industry to industry, and activity to activity, and will need to be revised again after Treasury releases its own modeling of the scheme.
" The AWU will continue to argue for a well-thought out Government plan to keep existing good secure jobs in Gladstone, " Paul Howes said.
´ However if companies do shutdown, and move offshore, these tradeable permits will help local workers set up their own businesses, get training in new job skills, retire or resettle in new regions where jobs for their skills would be in demand."
" If corporations are to get tradeable emissions permits - so should the affected workers in the relevant activities in these industries up front," Paul Howes said." We see it as a valid, form of carbon insurance for workers in the emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries."
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