A drop in the
national unemployment level was cold comfort yesterday for more than 60 Unanderra workers who have been told they face forced redundancies.
Union representatives met employees of Shinagawa Refractories Australasia Pty Ltd yesterday afternoon to discuss the company's announcement it would be cutting up to 15 jobs at its manufacturing site in Glastonbury Ave.
Workers have been given until Tuesday to nominate for voluntary redundancies, but if not enough put up their hands, more will be forced to go.
Kevin Rudd to visit Wollongong Expect worse, Illawarra jobless told"They're upset, they're very upset," CFMEU Brick, Tile and Pottery division president Shayne Stiff said.
"You're dealing with people's lives. A lot of the blokes have mortgages, wives, children to feed, all kinds of debts."
The redundancies follow the 281 positions lost at Pacific Brands factories in Unanderra and Bellambi and 12 axed jobs at Australian Health Management announced this year.
Shinagawa, one of the largest suppliers of refractory and insulating materials in Asia, employs about 140 people across Australia, including more than 60 at its headquarters in Unanderra.
Mr Stiff said employees had been told the company had experienced a 42 per cent decline in sales.
In a statement, Shinagawa Refractories Australasia managing director Richard Flook said the company had suffered from the global financial downturn and its "significant reduction in work" was expected to continue until at least 2011.
"As a result of this downturn, the company regretfully has had to reduce our workforce and over the past two days has announced voluntary redundancy schemes to our employees," Mr Flook said.
"Shinagawa has a history of working with any industrial instrument in place within the company, such as the current EBAs, and will continue to do so.
"Shinagawa staff, who are not party to an industrial agreement have been offered a generous (voluntary redundancy scheme) which is well above statutory minimums.
"Shinagawa is hoping to avoid any company initiated redundancies by offering voluntary redundancies, and is hoping to have this uncertain period complete by May 29, 2009.
"Shinagawa is confident that these one-off actions will ensure that the company is in a good position to fulfil current contracts and grow into the future."
Workers and management will meet again on Tuesday to discuss the need for forced redundancies.
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