News

Unions have described the Federal Government’s tripling of the number of Polish citizens eligible to work in Australia on Working Holiday Visas as a kick in the guts to local unemployed workers.

Immigration Minister David Coleman yesterday announced that, effective immediately, an additional 1000 annual visa places had been made available for Polish nationals, adding to the approximately 135,000 working holiday visa holders already in Australia.

CFMEU Manufacturing has moved. 

Our new office is 165 Bouverie Street, Carlton.

You can still contact us by phone or emai:

1800 060 556

[email protected] 

Today’s announcement that a Federal Labor Government would provide ongoing funding of $2 million a year to support the important work of Ethical Clothing Australia has been welcomed by the CFMEU Manufacturing Division, which represents workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industries.

Ethical Clothing Australia runs an accreditation and audit program which ensures Australian manufacturers’ supply chains are fully transparent, legally compliant and that workers’ rights are protected, including homeworkers and outworkers, who are among the most vulnerable in the industry.

Jenny Kruschel, National Secretary of the TCF Sector of the CFMEU Manufacturing Division spoke at a tribute to the workers who lost their lives in the Rana Plaza tragedy on April 24th 2013, the anniversary of the horrendous factory fire and building collapse that killed 1,134 workers and injured more than 2,500 in Bangladesh.

The Union laid a wreath and held a minute's silence to remember the workers whose lives were lost and those who were injured.

Global unions that collectively represent more than 70 million workers in 150 countries have launched an international campaign to put pressure on multinational manufacturer Kimberly-Clark to save the jobs of 220 workers at the Huggies factory at Ingleburn, in South Western Sydney.

In a joint statement, UNI and IndustriALL Global Unions condemned the closure, linking the plight of Australian workers to those in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic where Kimberly Clark has also announced factory closures or mass layoffs in recent months.

The CFMEU Manufacturing division is hiring a Senior Organiser to be based in Melbourne.

As our Senior Organiser, you will:

Business leaders on bloated executive salaries have been slammed for their hypocritical claims that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s pledge to boost the minimum wage to a living wage “would take Australia backwards”.

Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union national secretary Michael O’Connor said big business was once again asking workers to shoulder the load and sacrifice their need for a pay rise at the same time corporate profits continued to rise and executive salaries remained bloated.

The Construction Forestry Maritime Mining & Energy Union - Manufacturing Division is currently seeking to appoint a full time Industry Fund Superannuation Coordinator. The work is primarily with members in the Forestry, Forest Building Products, Furnishing, Timber Manufacturing and Pulp & Paper industries. This position is with a national trade Union contracted to a Not-For-Profit industry fund with approx. $3 billion under management. The position is based in Sydney, servicing sites in both Sydney and NSW Regional/Country locations.

The latest edition of the CFMEU Manufacturing newsletter is out now! It's your one-stop-shop for all the latest news across our division. 

Click here to download the CFMEU Manufacturing newsletter

In this issue: 

Secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union's Greater Green Triangle District, Brad Coates has called for the establishment of a new, independent safety commissioner for South Australia and for coronial inquests into deaths at work to be mandatory.

Mr Coates said that following the CFMEU Construction and General Division’s submission to the coronial inquest into the death of construction worker, Jorge Castillo-Riffo, it has highlighted the urgency of strengthening our laws surrounding workplace safety.