The AMWU is preparing to launch a public campaign to oppose the privatisaton of the power industry in by the Iemma Government.
AMWU NSW Secretary Paul Bastian said that the community had consistently opposed privatisation of public assets and infrastructure services.
“It’s difficult to understand why the Premier is pushing ahead with this when there is evidence to show that privatisation is an expensive failure for everyone except the private businesses that buy them.”
An emergency Caucus meeting of NSW Labor parliamentarians on Monday approved the Premier’s plan. Since that time all pretence at ‘negotiations’ with the affected unions have broken down in the face of the Treasurer Michael Costa’s provocative media statements and his refusal to give commitments on job security or conditions of employment for workers in the power industry.
Mr Bastian said the New South Wales Government tried and failed to privatise the power industry in 1997.
“It was a spectacular failure, but since that time, privatisation has always been on the radar.
“Morris Iemma’s State Labor Government didn’t seek a mandate to privatise power or any other NSW public asset. Privatisation was a point of major difference between the ALP and the Coalition during the State election campaign.
“Yet since winning a fourth term at the State election in March, it has been clear that the treasurer has made moves to do whatever necessary to privatise a range of state owned infrastructure and services.”
“While the Government claims it to be a sign of ‘economic responsibility’, we see it for what it is: an attempt to hide public debt which effectively results in the transfer of public wealth to private profit.”
Mr Bastian pointed to the list of privatisation failures in the state, including the Cross City Tunnel, M5 Tollway, Lane Cove Tunnel and Airport Rail Link.
“In other Australian states governments have been forced to ‘buy back’ large parts of their transport networks after their colossal collapse while in private hands. The massive costs and disruption to the public and the embarrassment to government caused by these failures are known every where.”
Mr Bastian said that the AMWU is calling for a meeting of all public sector delegates to plan for a campaign against privatisation in New South Wales.
“I am confident that we will have the community on our side.”