Today, Alcoa workers at the Point Henry site near Geelong will leave work for the last time.

 

Alcoa announced in February that it would close the plant that has been in continuous operation for over 50 years.

 

Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten and Local Federal Member, Richard Marles joined workers to show Labor’s support for future opportunities.

 

In total, the closure of the Point Henry plant today will see 500 workers out of a job.

 

The majority of those workers are aged between 40 and 50 years of age.

 

Around 4 in 5 of those workers have an uncertain future.

 

Labor is calling on the Abbott Government to urgently step up and support these hard working Australians, their families in the Geelong and Yennora communities at this difficult time of transition.

 

Geelong and its region have been hit devastatingly hard by job losses and have heard nothing from the Abbott Government.

 

No one is asking for a hand out.

 

But these highly-skilled, productive workers deserve better than silence from the Prime Minister.

 

With the right support, Alcoa employees can continue to contribute to their family’s financial security, their community’s prosperity and our nation’s productivity.

 

Securing their future should be the Government’s priority.

 

Alcoa has been a part of the Geelong landscape for more than half a century and this is a very sad day for the entire community.

 

Our economy is changing and the Abbott Government has a responsibility to support these highly skilled workers into new opportunities.

 

The Abbott Government has abandoned the people of Geelong and the region at a time when they need support the most.

 

This announcement happened nearly six months ago and the Prime Minister is nowhere to be seen.

 

Either the Prime Minister has forgotten Alcoa workers or he just doesn’t care.

 

When will Tony Abbott and his Government start fighting for Australian jobs?

 

Now is the time for Prime Minister to deliver a plan for jobs in Geelong and a plan for jobs across Australia.

 

A further 300 workers will lose their jobs when Alcoa closes its rolling mill in December.

 

FRIDAY, 1 AUGUST 2014

 

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