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Australia: PM to Meet Manufacturing Industry |
| Source: |
au.news.yahoo.com |
| Source Date: |
Monday, August 29, 2011 |
| Focus: |
ICT for MDGs
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| Country: |
Australia |
| Created: |
Aug 30, 2011 |
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Ways to boost the ailing manufacturing industry will be on the agenda when Prime Minister Julia Gillard meets unions and industry groups on Monday.
Trade Minister Craig Emerson said the government was conscious of the high impact of the Aussie dollar on the industry.
Australia's biggest steel manufacturer BlueScope last week announced it would cut 1000 jobs and unions are warning of more job losses to come as the resources boom continues to suck life out of other sectors.
"It's obviously frustrating for employers and the workers who are trying to do everything they possibly can to be efficient but then get belted by a high exchange rate," Dr Emerson told ABC Radio.
The meeting will discuss ways of improving the competitiveness of manufacturing, investing in skills and supporting innovation.
"The future of manufacturing in this country is in high-skill, high-wage work rather than any sort of race to the bottom," he said.
ACTU secretary Jeff Lawrence said the government needed to take a more activist approach in defending the manufacturing sector in a changing economy.
"We're not calling for protectionist measures, but we are calling for an interventionist approach," he told ABC Radio.
Procurement and local content on major projects was part of plans to improve and support manufacturing, as were regional policies.
Mr Lawrence said certain key industries, such as car and steel manufacturing and heavy maintenance like that done by Qantas workers, were important to protecting the skills base already in Australia.
"It is really crucial that we actually do make things in Australia," he said.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports a move to get "sensible heads around the table" to look at manufacturing.
But chief executive Peter Anderson said the answers were already known to a certain extent.
"If there is an inquiry we need to also be realistic and recognise we can't just put off some of the decisions that need to be made," he told ABC Radio.
Looking at industrial relations flexibility would always be part of examining how to increase competitiveness.
"We need to ensure that our industrial relations and our labour regulations is as conducive as possible to our productivity objectives," Mr Anderson said.
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