The AMWU has called for an exhaustive review of the Productivity Commission, to look into its effect on jobs, industry, and productivity levels since its appointment.

AMWU National Secretary Dave Oliver said it is time we examine the motivations and evaluate the effects of the Productivity Commission on Australian jobs.

“The Productivity Commission has always pursued an ideologically one-sided approach that has consistently delivered job losses, a reduction in workers’ share of profits and undermined the Australian labour market.

“This is not consistent with the Rudd Government’s manufacturing industry policy and it should be brought under review.

“We have seen thousands of jobs lost under the Productivity Commission’s recommendations. This is because it is not really about productivity at all, but simply profit and return for big business.

“Their modelling is based on theories that redundant workers are absorbed by new industries in booming areas - but the opposite is true, workers often end up with lower paid, less secure jobs when forced to change industry or location.

“Productivity Commission Chief Gary Banks attacks the Government’s response to an automotive industry that is clearly in crisis, by suggesting that no intervention or support is necessary.

“Other leading industrialised countries overseas successfully use interventionist government policies which have delivered long-term benefits for their industries, there is no reason we can’t do the same.

“The Productivity Commission’s own expression of their mandate is ‘to help governments make better policies in the long term interest of the Australian community’

“The long term interest of the Australian community has been undermined by their non-interventionist and short-term profit based policies.

“The Productivity Commission’s framework will reduce Australia to a commodities based economy. Employment and living standards will then be totally dependant on the price of our mineral exports. We need to review the Productivity Commission so that our policies adequately address Australia’s future.