Cut to exports will sink wharfies' jobs

Another 200 blue-collar jobs could disappear when BlueScope Steel's restructure hits Port Kembla wharfies.It took just 24 hours for the ramifications of the loss of 1100 Illawarra steel workers and contractors to emerge, with the end of international exports now set to cost the jobs of Patrick Stevedores employees.The shipping company is responsible for loading about 1.8 million tonnes of internationally bound steel products each year. The iconic Iron Monarch vessel, which transports steel from Port Kembla to Western Port in Victoria, will also cease its regular runs under the restructure.BlueScope chief executive Paul O'Malley confirmed there would be job losses on the docks as the company was restructured.Patrick was working to determine the ramifications of the changes, a spokeswoman said.She said Patrick employed 130 people in Port Kembla and the company pledged to consult employees to ensure their concerns were heard and dealt with.But one long-term worker, who declined to be named, predicted as many as 200 dock workers would be out of work once contractors were taken into account."We're absolutely stuffed, absolutely buggered," he said. "If they're not exporting steel, there's nothing for us to do."Maritime Workers' Union southern branch secretary Gary Keane said the cuts could be deep."But right now, I don't think even BlueScope really knows what is going to happen at the dock at Port Kembla," he said."There's no doubt we're going to cop a hit, but unfortunately nobody can say exactly how big it will be."BlueScope has ruled out using the Iron Monarch for regular trips in the future."We will stop sending slab from Port Kembla to Western Port and send hot rolled coil," Mr O'Malley told the Mercury. "With that, the Iron Monarch will not be used for that purpose."He said it was a "pretty good vessel" and another use would be found for it somewhere.The Iron Monarch was recently given a $17 million facelift in Singapore and had just resumed operations on May 31.Meanwhile, BHP Billiton has said it will employ 50 soon-to-be redundant BlueScope employees in its Illawarra coal operations.It will also take applications from anyone willing to work in its Queensland coal operations, where more than 750 job vacancies exist, or in its West Australian iron ore operations, where there are 600 vacancies.