The latest edition of the CFMEU Manufacturing newsletter is out now with all the latest news from across our division.
View the digital version of the newsletter here.
The Australian Government’s Budget shows there will be continued tough times ahead for Australian workers.
It finds that COVID-19 has had a shocking impact on Australia’s community and economy.
This year, for the first-time ever official figures found more than 1 million Australians unemployed and looking for work.
A recent report by Anglicare Australia found that there were 106 jobseekers for every entry level job.
For manufacturing workers, the pandemic has hit particularly hard.
The number of Australians employed in manufacturing has collapsed to its lowest level on record with the economy shedding 50,000 manufacturing jobs since the start of the crisis despite many manufacturing businesses accessing JobKeeper wage subsidy programs.
In July, 246,000 manufacturing jobs were being supported by JobKeeper representing about 30% of the remaining manufacturing workforce.
The JobKeeper wage subsidy was reduced to $1200 per fortnight for full time workers and $750 for part time workers (under 20 hrs per week) at the end of September. It is scheduled
to reduce again to $1000 per fortnight/$650 per fortnight at January 4 2021 and cease completely on 28 March.
The forecast of a recovery relies on an assumption that a successful COVID-19 vaccine will be rolled out across the population by late next year, a goal that is far from guaranteed.
All this means that we need to fight for every job and stick together.
In Unity
Michael O'Connor - National Secretary
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