As Saturday’s vote approaches, AMWU members, delegates and officials are highlighting the stark choice between Labor and Coalition.

Protecting our rights at work, better protection for workers’ entitlements and keeping Australians employed and well-trained remain the key issues for manufacturing workers.

AMWU National Secretary, Dave Oliver has visited dozens of AMWU workplaces across Australia in the past three weeks, talking to members about the key issues.

“We have a clear choice between a government that took action through stimulus to keep us out of recession, that is taking action to invest in training and skills, and that will protect our entitlements from company collapses,” he said.

The alternative is Tony Abbott, who opposed jobs and the stimulus plan, and who will bring back WorkChoices.”

Across different workplaces, delegates and members have been raising awareness of the issues and organising in the community to keep the Liberals out.

AMWU delegate Jeff Eelkema wrote this letter  to RACQ members putting plainly the reason a Labor Government gives us the environment we need to campaign to improve our conditions and our working life.

While Julia Gillard spent the final week visiting workers, including AMWU members at Komatsu in Perth, Abbott refused to even debate the economy.

The AMWU has put together key factsheets on jobs and the economy, apprenticeships, entitlements and other key issues for the information of members. They are available online here.

The ‘Fair Entitlements Guarantee’, announced by Labor at the AMWU National Conference three weeks ago, is one of the major reasons manufacturing workers should re-elect the Gillard Government.

When we cast our votes on Saturday, we need to focus on the key issues, and the real effect the different policies of the two parties will have on us and our communities.