By Violet Li
The Victorian Branch of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) is calling on the Federal Government to support glass manufacturing as the country’s only glass manufacturer, Oceania Glass, has recently gone into administration.
The union is encouraged by the announcement by the Prime Minister to back the Whyalla steelworks and calls on him to extend the same industry support to Oceania Glass.
The AWU argues that Oceania Glass, which employs 260 workers and produces 165,000 tonnes of flat glass annually, deserves similar consideration.
“The Prime Minister’s decision to save Whyalla shows the government understands the importance of protecting our sovereign manufacturing capabilities. We need that same recognition for Australia’s last remaining glass manufacturer,” AWU Victorian Secretary Ronnie Hayden said.
“Oceania Glass isn’t just another manufacturer. It’s the only float glass manufacturing line in Australasia. Once these skills and capabilities are lost, they’re gone forever.
“We can’t afford to let another critical industry disappear from our shores.
“We have seen our last sovereign plastic manufacturer Qenos shut up shop and leave in the last few months. This is urgent, I can’t state it any more plainly than that.”
Mr Hayden said the union had been seeing enterprises in their commercial districts evaporating by the month.
“It is because other countries are outmaneuvering us, knowing that once we can’t do it ourselves, we’ll be at their beck and call,” he said.
“The Future Made In Australia is more than a catchphrase, it’s our members’ livelihoods.”
Housing Minister Claire O’Neil toured the Dandenong facility with AWU officials on Friday 21 February, to witness the operation and meet with workers whose livelihoods hang in the balance.
“We’re really concerned about what’s been happening on-site here over the last few months,” she said.
Mr Hayden said the current situation of Oceania Glass was the direct result of weak anti-dumping laws that had allowed cheap imported glass to flood the country’s market.
“I’m seeing a tsunami of glass arriving at construction sites across Melbourne. The regulator can’t keep up. We need the Feds to give the Anti-Dumping Commission a cash injection so they can grow some teeth and enforce the laws we already have,” he said.
“We need a cop on the beat bringing prosecutions in weeks to months.”
Mr Hayden said Oceania Glass wrote to the Anti-dumping Commission in August last year and asked them to fix up the problem, but the Commission said they might have an answer by April this year.
“Nine months is just not acceptable,” he said.
“We’re not saying that the government should be chipping in and fixing up the problems. We’re saying you already have laws in place, fix those laws, enable those laws, and make sure that the products being made in Australia aren’t being underdone by foreign countries.”
