Australian Unions welcome the Federal Government’s announcement today to invest $750 million to secure the future of Australia’s metals manufacturing industry.
The new investment – part of the $1.7 billion Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund – supports the metals industry’s growth through advancing new low-emissions technologies in aluminium, iron, steel, and other metals manufacturing.
Future Made in Australia is forecast to create more than 400,000 new jobs in Australia by 2040. This includes 100,000 jobs from scaling our clean metals export industry – set to grow in demand from Australia’s major trading partners.
The estimate is part of an earlier independent analysis of the sectors, commissioned by the ACTU, the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Federal Government investment in Australia’s metals industry now exceeds $5 billion – a huge boost to these industries and the workers and communities that rely on them.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President, Michele O’Neil:
“This investment secures a better future for Australian metals manufacturing workers and their local communities. Supporting the growth of our metals industry through new technologies means more jobs for working people and lower emissions for our planet.
“Through the Future Made in Australia plan, local communities will be in a stronger position to benefit from secure and well-paid jobs created from the growing global demand in clean metals manufacturing.
“Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s promise to eliminate Future Made in Australia is a threat to the jobs and livelihoods of working people and their loved ones. The last time Peter Dutton was in government, his party let our car manufacturing industry die. Now, he wants to stop Australian metals manufacturing workers and their kids from having a better future.
“Australian Unions will always have the backs of working people in our metals manufacturing industry.”
