Timber workers who have been stood down due to hardwood shortages caused by legal challenges in forests and government policy failure should be paid by the Victorian Government under a Jobkeeper style support plan for the industry, the union representing timber workers, according to the CFMEU manufacturing division. Source: Timberbiz
Already, hundreds of sawmill workers across Victoria have had reduced hours and have been asked to take leave, and hundreds more are facing imminent stand downs in a dozen mills around the state as logs run out due to crippling injunctions on timber harvesting
Only around a quarter of the contracting workforce have work, and hundreds of them have been stood down for months.
In July 2020 the Victorian Government announced that they would take action to minimise the risk to short-term supply obligations arising from third-party litigation.
The Government’s public policy responses to this have spectacularly failed. Log inventories are depleted and hardly any harvesting is occurring.
The National Secretary of the union, Michael O’Connor said the Victorian Government had a moral obligation to provide financial support to the workers.
“Victorian Government inaction for two years on the injunctions that closed down operations has led to this situation,” he said.
“An increase in third party litigations in forestry operations has impacted timber supply, leading to hardwood shortages, and the slowing down and even closing of production at mills.
“The closure of the Mectec sawmill in East Gippsland yesterday will be the tip of the iceberg
“We need a JobKeeper for timber workers or more businesses will close.
“The Government has a moral obligation to support the workers in the same way forest contractors receive stand down rates and mills receive some compensation for undersupply impacted by factors beyond their control.”
