The AMWU has vowed to fight State Government plans to privatise parts of Queensland Rail (QR) in the wake of last weekend’s ALP state conference.
Mr Dettmer said privatising any part of Queensland Rail (QR) will have long-term and serious implications for regional Queensland and is a short-term solution made during the financial crisis.
The State Government’s current privatisation proposal involves selling off the coal and freight businesses and even some of the rails themselves.
“QR is the best way for the Queensland Government to positively intervene in regional Queensland by providing jobs to areas that may otherwise struggle with employment,” Mr Dettmer said.
“Selling the business off means the buyer can and will shut down non-profitable arms of the business, even if they are the lifeblood of a regional community.
“That leads to higher unemployment in those areas, a reduction in property prices and eventually a deterioration of the community as a whole.”
Mr Dettmer said that it was vital that the State Government maintained its reach into regional areas for their long-term welfare.
“The global financial crisis won’t last and, when things get better for Queensland financially, the Government needs to be able to share that with regional areas,” he said.
QR has facilities across the state including Maryborough, Brisbane, Redbank, Toowoomba, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Sarina, Townsville, Cairns, Emerald and Mount Isa. (I’ve been everywhere man!)
The AMWU has approximately 1,000 members in QR and the majority of those are based in regional or rural areas.
Meetings of workers in the last few weeks have backed a state-wide campaign and the AMWU has pledged a three year campaign, in conjunction with other unions involved. The other unions are the Electrical Trades Union, the Rail Tram and Bus Union and the Australian Services Union.
said the proposed sell-off was a betrayal by the Labor government.
“Railways should remain in the public sector, ports should remain in the public sector, forestry should remain in the public sector,” said Rail, Tram and Bus Union Secretary, Owen Doogan
“Today is only the beginning of the campaign – we will not be going away.”
The Queensland Council of Unions has received hundreds of calls from people saying they supported the unions’ campaign.
“People are angry about this decision because they know that privatisation has not delivered the promised benefits in other areas,” said Mr Dettmer.
“We know that we’re going into this campaign with the support of the vast majority of Queenslanders.”