The Number One Priority is to Keep the Plant Open
Over one hundred workers facing retrenchment at Viridian Glass near Melbourne met with CFMEU officials yesterday and vowed to work hard to stop their plant closing and their work and industry moving offshore.
The problem has been caused by the decision of Viridian owner CSR to close Viridian plants in Geelong and Laverton that manufacture car windows for Toyota. Viridian/CSR have blamed the global financial crisis for the decision, despite Viridian having a huge contract with Toyota that should be keeping workers busy until at least 2011.
CFMEU Assistant State Secretary Frank Vari said very strong and active community and trade union support since the closure announcement had heartened workers at the mass meeting yesterday.
“Our number one priority now is to keep the plant open and keep these skilled workers in work filling the Toyota contract until 2011 at the very least.”
“To that end we will be meeting with the Federal Government in the next few days to put the case that there is simply no economic imperative for shutting this facility, creating a needless problem for Toyota, throwing these highly skilled workers on the scrap heap and losing this key part of the car component industry forever.”
“The Prime Minister has said recently that the nation must all pull together to protect jobs. Well, here is an opportunity to match the rhetoric with some action.”
“If we want to keep making cars in this country, plants like the Viridian ones at Geelong and Laverton simply cannot be allowed to close and the work go offshore.”
“The Union will be looking at all options over the next few days to work with Toyota and CSR to keep the plants open. We intend writing to major shareholders of CSR explaining that the economic case for closure is not real and we will certainly be raising the issue at the CSR AGM as well.”
