The union representing timber workers, CFMEU Manufacturing, welcomes the announcement from the Victorian Government to significantly improve the workers’ assistance component of the Government’s Victorian Forestry Plan.
However, the union has warned that it remains opposed to significant aspects of the Government’s plan and will continue its campaign to fight for every job.
The union has persistently raised serious problems with the package, which previously capped government payments for workers made redundant due to the government shutting down the industry to just $23,000.
The union has argued for two years that the plan was not consistent with either universally accepted “just transition” principles or Labor values.
The revised package will see the Government pay a top up to any statutory redundancy payments payable by employers to 4 weeks (up from 3 weeks) for every year of skills investment in the industry, so they receive up to $120,000 (up from a $23,000 maximum government contribution).
This is more consistent with previous forestry industry adjustment packages, such as the 2003 Victorian Government Our Forests Our Future assistance, and the assistance provided to Tasmanian workers in 2013 by the Commonwealth and Tasmanian Governments.
“This is a significant improvement. Along with increased funding for relocation assistance, it will make a real difference to timber workers, their families and communities,” CFMEU Manufacturing Division National Secretary, Michael O’Connor, said.
“Our members, their families and communities have stood up and fought every step of the way for fairer treatment. While the fight for jobs in the industry continues, we now have a significantly better deal for impacted workers.
“We thank the Government and particularly Minister Mary-Anne Thomas for listening to our members’ concerns and advocating within the Government for an improved deal for workers.”
Michael O’Connor said the union remained far from convinced that the extent of cuts to supply outlined in the Victorian Government Forestry Plan are necessary, desirable or sensible.
“Current problems like the national timber shortage and the hardwood pallet shortage, show just how short-sighted this plan is.
“Just like the workers’ assistance component of the package was not properly thought through, nor was the decision to completely shut down the native forest industry in 2030.
“The improvement in support for workers made redundant is welcome. But a job is better than a redundancy.
“A redundancy package is like the life rafts on a ship. It’s great that we’ve now secured them, but we need to stop the ship from going down.
“It is possible to reach a sensible approach to forest management and the forest industry including ongoing sustainable forest management for timber production in the public native forest estate where appropriate.
“We have always supported Sustainable Forest Management and the need to vary resource outlooks and projections from time to time to ensure social, economic, and biological sustainability.
“But we do not support ideologically driven anti-forestry positions.”
