Carter Holt Harvey workers will protest near the offices of ForestrySA today over the log prices dispute between the company and the State Government that could cost 1000 jobs. Timber mill workers will be at the Umpherston sinkhole in the morning for a demonstration, which is expected to go into the afternoon with union leaders venting their anger at the government. Source: The Border Watch
Frustration and anxiety is reaching boiling point for workers who were told two weeks ago they could lose their jobs if ForestrySA does not meet the demands of Carter Holt Harvey to lower the price of raw logs.
Unions have warned that today’s demonstration will be “just the beginning” if nothing is done to save the $1 billion South East timber industry.
Around 500 members from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and The Electrical Trades Union will stop work for 24 hours and rally at the gardens throughout the day.
“Everyone is just insecure about what they’re doing and if they’ll have a job tomorrow,” delegate Alvin Kettle said.
A lack of information about the dispute was also causing tension for staff and particularly younger workers, he said.
“They’ve all got new families and they’ve got mortgages,” Mr Kettle said.
“Everyone is in the dark and that’s why everyone is frightened and scared about their jobs – we want to save our jobs and tell the government that we’re not happy with the prices of the logs.”
South East organiser Travis Lawson told The Border Watch the union was preparing to deal with The Campbell Group and said early signs showed that the company was willing to talk.
“It just means that we’ll be negotiating with someone different – it just adds another player to the game,” Mr Lawson said.
“We’ve heard that The Campbell Group are a pretty good organisation that are willing to sit down to negotiate and we’re quite confident we can sit down with them and reach an outcome.”
However, State Opposition Forestry Spokesperson Adrian Pederick questioned the record of The Campbell Group in New Zealand.
“Since Fletcher Challenge Forests, New Zealand’s third-biggest operator, was sold to The Campbell Group in 2003, New Zealand’s timber exports to China have jumped dramatically year after year and are now valued at $970m – a 100pc jump in exports to China from New Zealand from 2008 to 2010,” Mr Pederick said.
“If the government allows this to happen, not only will The Campbell Group be exporting logs, it will be exporting jobs, in turn having a negative impact on state tax revenue and economic activity.”
Carter Holt Harvey has been largely silent and issued no public statement on the dispute with the government, despite distributing letters to staff stating their jobs are at risk and outlining challenges in the market.
ForestrySA has also refused to comment to the media on the issue.
