July 14, 2013
Electrical Trades Union delegates from around Queensland flew into Brisbane today for a crisis meeting in the wake of Wednesday’s announcement of more job losses at Tarong Power Station.
ETU State Secretary Peter Simpson said the State Government’s policies were a betrayal of their election promises, a “kick in the guts for regional communities” and a death knell for remote communities.
“They are outsourcing 33 remote generation community power stations and the jobs they support, they are proposing to close more than 30 regional depots and we now have the Stanwell decision where 58 jobs will be lost at Tarong in the South Burnett, enough is enough,” he said.
“We will fight for every job, we have received massive support from some of the affected communities and we will be asking them to join with us to fight back.
“We need a regional revolt. We will be calling on people to do simple things like write to their local MP, attend a rally, sign a petition or write to their newspapers to say enough is enough of the LNP ripping the hearts out of our communities.
“We will not stand back and see communities decimated.
“This is not just about electricity jobs and assets; this is about families, schools, businesses and health facilities.
“This LNP Government must be held to account.
“They continue to hide behind their ‘puppet’ Boards, saying the boards make the decisions.
“Well, we know for a fact they are directing Boards to cut costs and ‘right size’ their organisations.
“FOI information received earlier this year shows quite clearly government Ministers directed State-owned electricity providers Ergon and Energex to cut costs by 10 per cent.
“The buck stops with the LNP.”
