CFMEU National Secretary John Sutton said today;
“The unions membership at workplaces across Australia have responded very generously to this tragedy.
“Both our forestry division and our mining division lost members in the disaster, at Marysville and Callignee.”
“In addition eight Forestry and Furnishing Products Division members lost their homes, whilst twelve members of our Mining and Energy Division lost their houses and five members of the unions Construction Division.”
Mr. Sutton said that the effects of the fires also directly affected Forestry Division workplaces, with 3 sawmills and a timber yard completely destroyed and another two sawmills sustaining damage.
“The long term viability of the timber industry in the Central Highlands and Gippsland regions is under threat due to the massive losses of both plantation and native forests.”
In response to the fires, members of the CFMEU’s Forestry and Furnishing Products Division voted across the country for minimum $20 levies per member to raise funds for the appeal.
Other notable contributions that assisted in exceeding the million dollar CFMEU target include workers building the Bluewater Collie Power station in WA donating $140,000, Victorian construction workers raising $120,000 in site collections, Northern NSW District Miners raising $120,000 and the Southern NSW District raising $100,000.
The total raised so far is $1,025,000.
 |
 |
 |
|
