Six hundred blue collar workers will lose their jobs tomorrow when Ford’s plant in Broadmeadows closes its doors, and the Turnbull government has done nothing to ease the impact on Melbourne’s north.
Disturbing reports today point to the fact that almost half of the employees have not secured work elsewhere. Another challenge is that for more than half the manufacturing employees, English is a second language.
Many of those impacted workers reside in areas I represent in Scullin. There are also many businesses in Scullin that will be directly harmed by the closure.
Today, my thoughts are with the impacted workers and their families.
While it is good that the Minister for Industry is travelling to Japan and Detroit to try to secure Australian jobs in automotive research and development, this is a case of too little and too late for the workers in Melbourne’s north.
The Daniel Andrews Victorian Government has done all it can with millions of dollars invested in jobs in Melbourne’s North and a back to work scheme, and organising job fairs for affected workers.
The Turnbull Government needed a real plan to transition from vehicles being constructed in Broadmeadows, but now it is too late. The government needs to support these workers directly, not just fly overseas for meetings.
MEDIA CONTACT: MATTHEW DAWSON - 0432 809 912