The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) strongly supports today’s announcement by the Minster for Industry Tim Ayres on the decision to move safeguard measures across from the Productivity Commission to the Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC).
It means the ADC will now be equipped to tackle sudden import surges that threaten Australian manufacturing industries and jobs.
The AMWU has been calling for this specific reform for close to a decade.
AMWU National Secretary Steve Murphy said today the rules will change.
“Finally, the Anti-Dumping Commission is getting its teeth back after 20 years of inaction by the Productivity Commission.”
“In the last two decades, we’ve seen the Productivity Commission investigate only four safeguard inquiries on behalf of Australian industries, allowing for the rampant and widespread dumping of goods and materials into Australia.”
“Effectively, the Productivity Commission has been sleeping on the job while the ADC has been fighting with one hand tied behind its back. Australian business had been left to deal with the issue, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to put a case to the ADC. It had shifted the onus onto Australian businesses to investigate how these overseas companies were dumping cheap products into Australia.”
“Free trade agreements have encouraged and allowed the exploitation of workers and the environment to be hidden in international supply chains.”
“We have seen iron, steel and aluminium products being repeatedly dumped into Australia, which has decimated our local industries and jobs.”
The AMWU thanks the federal government including the work of the Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell, and the Minister for Industry Tim Ayres for their work in overhauling this change.
The Albanese Government has dedicated $22.7 billion to a Future Made in Australia to set up future manufacturing industries here and to diversify our economy so that we have high-tech high-skilled local jobs.
“We now gain the protections we need to deliver a level playing field for local companies to tender for major energy and infrastructure projects, and a fair go for local workers in the global race for the jobs of the future.”
“This reform means the Anti-Dumping Commission now has the tools to look after local industries in our national interest and not simply act in the interests of importers.”