Build Them Here

Port upgrade a win for Newcastle ship-building jobs

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:06:50 +0000

The NSW Government’s multi-million dollar investment in Newcastle port infrastructure will deliver hundreds of skilled jobs and secure Newcastle’s position as a national ship-building hub, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said today.

Minister for the Hunter and Member for Newcastle Jodi McKay has announced funding to refurbish the slipway and wharf, build a blast and paint facility and workshop, and provide upgrades to additional ship-building, repair and launch capabilities on Government-owned land.

“This is a great project for Newcastle,” said AMWU NSW Secretary Tim Ayres.

“It puts local manufacturers in a strong position to win major defence contracts into the future, in particular a current bid by Forgacs to build 55 new customs patrol boats in Newcastle.

“This contract alone would deliver hundreds of direct jobs; and we know that for every direct job in transport manufacturing at least three more skilled jobs are supported across the supply chain, with flow-on effects right across the Hunter economy.

“This investment by the State Government into Newcastle industry is a welcome and practical recognition of the value delivered to our communities by a strong local manufacturing sector.

With its Build Them Here campaign, the AMWU has been working with State Government and business to maximise local manufacturing of transport infrastructure.

“This is a great show of confidence in our local ship-building industry,” said Mr Ayres.

“Newcastle is already a centre for world-class defence and marine manufacturing. Jodi McKay’s commitment today means we can consolidate Newcastle’s position, create more skilled jobs and further build our local capacity.”

Contact: Tim Ayres 0419 417 084

Download the media release here

A win on ferries

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:57:14 +0000

Great news. The NSW Government has committed to prioritising local industry in its procurement of six new Sydney Ferries vessels. Transport Minister John Robertson has promised the Government will take into account the issues raised by the AMWU in the Build Them Here campaign – that is, the economic benefit it to NSW communities of building transport infrastructure locally.

Read the Minister’s letter to the AMWU here.

Ferry contracts good news for jobs

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 03:17:39 +0000

An order of new six ferries this week is encouraging news for NSW transport manufacturing.

The Government has done the right thing by prioritising local industry and jobs in the tendering process, which will comply with the Jobs First guidelines encouraging local industry participation, particularly in regional areas.

Potential tenderers for the construction of the six new Sydney Ferries vessels include Newcastle ship-builders Varley or Forgacs. Their success would deliver jobs and long-term economic benefit to the region.

Varley and Forgacs, which both have the skills and capacity to do the work, would receive a 26% price advantage over foreign bidders under the scheme.

It is encouraging to see government recognise the value of manufacturing our transport infrastructure locally, in terms of jobs, quality and economic benefit.

Tim Ayres,
Secretary AMWU

Union, industry to govt: act now or lose capacity

admin — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:46:14 +0000

AMWU and industry representatives met Transport Minister John Robertson today to present a joint action plan for the state’s transport manufacturing sector.

The plan calls for a commitment to supporting NSW transport manufacturing through long-term procurement planning; supporting SMEs and regional manufacturing; engaging with industry through a Transport Manufacturing Working Group and developing a skills plan to ensure NSW has the highly-skilled workers it needs to put the state at the forefront of transport manufacturing.

Adrian Price of the Australian Industry Group and John Coyle of HunterNet joined AMWU State Secretary Tim Ayres in outlining the challenges faced by industry and the impacts of short-term thinking around public transport procurement.

A failure to act with conviction now will have predictable consequences: a dramatic loss of skills and capacity across the supply chain – with a particular threat to rail manufacturing.

Development of the transport industry action plan follows an industry forum the AMWU hosted in August, where all stakeholders agreed there was an urgent need to work with government to develop a long-term transport manufacturing plan.

Download the full report - Transport manufacturing at risk: NSW industry action plan

Industry, union join forces on transport manufacturing

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:19:48 +0000

NSW transport manufacturers have agreed to work with the AMWU to present the State Government with a joint plan to protect and grow the industry.

Last week, representatives of NSW’s major transport manufacturers – including Downer EDI, United Group Rail, Custom Coaches, Varley, RPC Technologies and Lovells Springs – took part in an industry forum we hosted in Newcastle.

A union holding an industry forum is unusual, but the results have been overwhelmingly positive. We had a fruitful discussion on the challenges we face and came away with an agreement to collaborate and present the government with a united position on strengthening our transport manufacturing sector.

Manufacturers spoke about the need for better long-term planning in public transport procurement to give industry the certainty and security it needs to invest in skills and capacity – giving NSW a secure supply of buses, trains and ferries to meet future demand.

We’ve agreed to send a joint delegation, led by state MPs from the Hunter, to meet with Premier Kristina Keneally on this issue within the next few weeks.

This is a good example of how our union can work with business to promote a positive, forward-looking agenda for the industries that employ our members.

Tim Ayres,
Secretary AMWU

We deserve to benefit from transport contracts

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:54:01 +0000

AMWU members have appealed directly to Transport Minister John Robertson to build public transport infrastructure locally.

At a transport workers’ forum in Sydney, delegate Richard Wardropper told the Minister he was worried about job losses in the sector and wanted the State Government to make a strong commitment on local transport manufacturing.

“There are contracts for buses, trains and ferries coming up – the government must make sure this work is done locally to support our jobs and local industry.

“It’s not right that a major contract like the Waratah trains are being 80% manufactured in China. NSW communities deserve to benefit from these major transport contracts.”

Maintrain workers say yes to local jobs

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:06:28 +0000

Western Sydney train maintenance workers have given their support to the Build Them Here campaign, calling on the NSW Government to support local jobs.

AMWU officials attended mass meetings this week at Maintrain – a major Western Sydney employer with 450 workers – to brief members about the public transport manufacturing contracts going to tender in coming months.

The Build Them Here campaign calls on the NSW Government to maximise local content in the buses, trains and ferries it orders to support jobs in NSW.

Maintrain workers signed petitions and unanimously supported a resolution to support the campaign and fight for future transport manufacturing jobs.

While Maintrain is mostly a maintenance facility, they do build some rolling stock infrastructure including wheel sets on site.

“Sending these manufacturing contracts does have the potential to affect us at Maintrain,” said delegate Mark Pierce.

“But the guys here also support this campaign on principle – we have a great transport manufacturing sector in this state and the NSW Government should support it.”

Message from Tim Ayres

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 02:55:40 +0000

Tim Ayres, NSW Secretary, AMWU

Here in NSW, we have some of the best manufacturing technology and most skilled manufacturing workers in the world.

Local manufacturers produce world-class transport infrastructure – from rail rolling stock through to naval air warfare destroyers.

They aren’t just building our infrastructure, they are also creating skilled jobs, developing valuable intellectual property, contributing to local communities and strengthening the NSW economy.

But this industry is at a crossroads.

As more contracts go to low-cost overseas competitors, NSW is struggling to maintain its specialist skills base and manufacturing capacity.

With the welcome announcement of new buses, ferries and trains, the NSW Government has a great opportunity to invest in our state and in the future of NSW manufacturing.

Maintaining and growing local manufacturing is important, for:

- jobs: manufacturing jobs support families and communities;

- skills: our industry is at risk of becoming a lower-skill service and maintenance industry if we don’t continue to invest in specialist trades; and

- future capacity: without contracts, manufacturers can’t continue to invest in the research, training and technology necessary to maintain capacity.

We are asking the NSW Government to show its confidence in the manufacturing workers of NSW and give them the opportunity to build our buses, ferries and trains.

A strong transport manufacturing capacity in NSW can build jobs, offer an efficient solution to public transport procurement into the future and drive our economy.

It makes sense to build them here.