Unions commend government action at Whyalla steelworks

The Australian Workers’ Union welcomes the South Australian and Federal Government’s $2.4 billion support plan for the Whyalla steelworks.

Today’s announcement provides long overdue certainty to workers and a community that have dealt with disruption and doubt for far too long. This historic investment into a critical manufacturing facility will secure Whyalla’s future after years of reckless mismanagement.

Workers should never have been sweating on shutdowns and closures as the boss dodged suppliers, sent profits offshore, ran the plant down and never delivered on promises to invest. This package allows them to get back to the business of making the steel this country depends on.

It can also set the plant up for a bright future – transforming steelmaking on the Eyre Peninsula from laggard to world leader. 

GFG’s neglect may have made it hard for some to see, but the plant has all the key ingredients to spearhead the shift to clean green steelmaking: access to magnetite ore, gas, hydrogen and renewables, plus decades of experience and industrial knowhow.

We commend the Prime Minister, Premier and Ministers for acting decisively and with appropriate ambition. The public interest may demand government retains a stake in the steelworks moving forward.

This is what a ‘Future Made in Australia’ means: steering industries through the challenges of today to set them up for the opportunities of tomorrow. 

The steelworks is precisely what we mean when we talk of vital sovereign capabilities.

We will work closely with Whyalla management and the South Australian government to ensure that operations continue smoothly at the steelworks in the coming weeks and months. 

We also welcome the Federal Government’s announcement of the national billion-dollar Green Iron Investment Fund.

This will provide important support for all Australian steelmakers to manage the shift to new production methods and maximise the benefits of the transition.

“This announcement shows what real political leadership looks like: turning a challenging situation into a huge shot in the arm for Australia’s sovereign capability,” says AWU National Secretary Paul Farrow.

“Whyalla supplies three-quarters of Australia’s domestic steel supply. Without it we would be beholden to foreign nations for the building blocks of our society.
 

“The Whyalla steelworks is a vital piece of national infrastructure, and yet our members have endured years of anxiety wondering if their jobs would survive administration and restructuring. It’s time to get off this merry-go-round. Whyalla’s workers perform a vital role for the nation and they deserve certainty and stability.”