The AMWU has slammed Downer EDI for its decision not to tender for the Queensland Rail New Generation contract to manufacture 200 three-car passenger trains.
1,000 jobs, more than half of those in Maryborough and the vast majority based in Queensland, are under threat from the company’s decision.
AMWU State Secretary Andrew Dettmer travelled to Maryborough last week and met with Downer EDI senior management.
“The union has spent the last year working with this company to ensure this train manufacturing contract has the best chance possible of going to its Maryborough factory,” Mr Dettmer said.
“Now, they’ve stunned us all by announcing in an email they’re pulling out of the race and citing onerous terms and conditions attached to the tender process,” he said.
“None of the other companies tendering, the majority of them internationally-based, have pulled out, so we have to assume they think the conditions of the contract are still workable.
“We’re now calling on the State Government to bring the remaining tenderers together to see if any provisions for local jobs can be built into their tenders.
“We think Downer EDI’s decision has a lot to do currying favour with the stockmarket and appeasing shareholders rather than the terms of the contract.
“Downer EDI has been in deep trouble because of their $400million plus write-down after the NSW Waratah train manufacturing disaster.”
Mr Dettmer said Queensland’s long and proud history as a rail manufacturing state was at threat due to the decision.
“To call this short-sighted on the part of Downer EDI would be a gross understatement,” he said.
“If there’s one area of transport manufacturing our country has truly excelled at over the last 150 years, it’s rail.
“We simply can’t afford to lose the skills necessary in rail manufacturing and we think it’s absolutely crucial that there be maximum effort by workers, companies and Government to keep the industry on track.”
The AMWU made the rail contract the central focus of its long-term Manufacturing Matters campaign, designed to lobby Government to improve procurement and incentives to boost Queensland manufacturing.
“So much work has been put into the fight to keep this contract in Queensland by the union and Downer EDI’s Maryborough workforce,” Mr Dettmer said.
“To hear now that the company has decided to pull out based on the sketchiest of reasons is a betrayal of all of that work by unions, workers and the local community,” he said.
“To really rub salt in the wound, the company decided to inform all staff via an email, surely the corporate equivalent of being dumped by text message.”