Making a stand for Australia: Unions finally get it right

Media release

Australian Protectionist Party National Chairman and South Australian Spokesman Mr. Andrew Phillips today applauded the declaration by the union movement to block any attempts by Pacific Brands to move manufacturing machinery out of Australia.

“After decades of tired internationalist tripe uttered by successive generations of union leaders, finally the movement has realized their purpose is to defend the interests of Australian workers” Mr. Phillips said. “Transport Workers Union national secretary Tony Sheldon is quite correct in pointing out that much of the machinery used by Pacific Brands would not have been operated without the $20 million granted via Australian taxpayer dollars-this in effect means it is owned by Australians”.

The Australian Protectionist Party supports the right of Australian employers to pursue their business activities in an ethical manner and to conduct their business as they see fit. However, in this situation a company cannot be permitted to throw Australian workers onto the scrap-heap in favour of cheap foreign labour and expect the Australian taxpayer to foot the bill.

“Australian manufacturing workers have witnessed this time and again – companies happy to accept millions of dollars from taxpayers, only to close operations and be lured by cheap and compliant labour in the Asia Pacific region while pocketing massive profits and voting in outrageous executive payrises” Mr. Phillips continued “These companies know no shame, their treatment of Australian taxpayers and their contempt for the Australian workforce is clearly evident despite protestations from company representatives that a misconception exists about their plans. At least when Fletcher Jones closed operations in Mt Gambier and moved offshore, they had the decency to admit that Globalisation was to blame.”

“The Australian union movement seems to have come to their senses and reassessed their priorities – we wish them the best in their efforts to hold this company to account and defend the interests of both Australian workers and taxpayers” Mr. Phillips concluded.


Statement issued by Mr. Andrew Phillips
National Chairman and S.A. spokesman, Australian Protectionist Party
1st March 2009

Comments

  1. spot on Peter

  2. David Sanders says

    SOLUTION FOR FOREIGN WORKER PROBLEM
    I have a fail safe solution to the problem of bosses hiring immigrant labour over local labour. First, we get all foreign workers to join the union. Then, we fight to force bosses to pay foreign workers employed in Australia the EXACT SAME WAGES as local workers doing the same job!

    Then there will no incentive for bosses to hire cheap foreign labour, because it won't be cheap at all! It'll be the same cost as everyone else!

    Another benefit of this is that we will no longer be distracted by dopey racism against people who share our interests, while the bosses merrily trample our rights. We'll be in a stronger position to defend our rights in future!

    Then, with the foreign workers who stood with us side by side in our common fight, we'll fight for a decent government that doesn't send manufacturing jobs overseas because of the brown paper bag the Pacific Brands boss shoved under the PM's desk.

  3. Not the Aus/Foreign meat industry unions!!!!
    Created here for Australian worker protection they now are full of foreigner workers on work visa’s!!
    When i confronted the shed union delegates about kicking foreigners out they “DUMB ARSE WHITEE’S” same colour as me, and also born here ,told me it would hurt the unions funding to kick them out.
    Also it would be discrimination, and against the law therefore.
    Weak gutted union leaders and all white to boot.

  4. SusanMKonwles says

    The union movement was started by the Anglicans to give the working class
    a better deal. The Union Movement was actually started by the “Right”.
    They were taken over by the “Loony Left” in the 60’s. It is about time they
    stood up for our Industries, because if they don’t there will be no jobs.
    The New World Order under the “RED FLAG” isn’t the Union movement
    part of that? What took them so long to speak up!!! Why didn’t the Union
    Movement stop our jobs going overseas in the 1970’s??? It was very
    difficult for Aussies to get jobs in the 70’s because they had gone
    overseas because of the New World Order had started!

  5. Spencer Collins says

    Don’t think for one minute that the unions will thank you for your comments.

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