STATEMENT - ARRIUM

07 April 2016

The news that Arrium has entered voluntary administration will come as a terrible blow to the workers of Arrium and their families.

Our thoughts are with Arrium’s workers and the entire Whyalla community at this time of uncertainty.

Steel is a strategically significant industry for Australia; we must not become the only advanced economy in the world to let our steel industry die.

The Government needs to get serious about working with the industry to secure the future of steel making in this country.

Australia needs a national steel plan.

Bill Shorten wrote to Malcolm Turnbull in February and called on him to act.

As Bill said in February, the Government should:

lead by example and work with Australian steel producers and their supply chains to maximise the use of Australian steel in government-funded infrastructure projects across local, state and federal government;

guarantee that they will not repeal or weaken the Australian Jobs Act, which gives local manufacturers, both large and small, the opportunity to win work on large Australian projects; and

reinstate a Local Employment Coordinator, to be responsible for assisting workers, and providing linkages between workers, government and employers.

Steel can have a great future in Australia, but it will take all parties working collaboratively to achieve this.

THURSDAY, 7 APRIL 2016