AWU wants emissions permits for workers, not just corporations

The Australian Workers’ Union wants to put our members at front and centre of the emissions trading debate, the AWU National Secretary, Paul Howes, said today.

The National Secretary made the comments after convening a RoundTable of the major employers of AWU members, where he released the union's response to the Federal Government's Green Paper on Carbon Reduction.

" We are keen to defend the living standards of the tens of thousands of AWU members working in the resources and energy industries," Paul Howes said when he released the 39 page AWU position paper.

" That's why the union has played such a high profile role in the debate triggered by the Federal Government, after they were elected on a platform of tackling climate change.

• Be part of the AWU Climate Change campaign - standing up for resource and energy industry workers - join the AWU today

Giving workers a stake in emissions trading

" If corporations are to get tradeable emissions trading permits - so should the workers in these industries," Paul Howes said.

" We see it as carbon insurance for workers in the emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries.

" As the price of carbon rises, so does the value of these permits and therefore of the workers who hold them."

Key Points from the AWU Position Paper

• Urgent action is required on climate change, and an Emissions Trading System is the way forward.

• Coverage should be as broad as possible, with petrol included.

• The risk of carbon leakage is real and needs to be addressed. Emission Intensive Trade-Exposed, industries are special cases that require a gradualist approach because there competitors in other countries do not face the same carbon price as they do. Therefore bringing these industries into an ETS carries special responsibilities in terms of providing assistance to protect future investment and current activities and needs to be conditional on progress in competitor countries

• A global agreement is vital for our ETS to make a difference over the medium and longer term.

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