The Illawarra’s steel fight is still warm and you could feel it at Bisalloy Steel in Unanderra on Wednesday.
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As temperatures outside hovered around 30 degrees, BlueScope steel was being heated to 900 degrees inside the steel processing facility on Resolution Drive.
Throsby MP Stephen Jones used a tour of the facility to acknowledge the result of this week’s BlueScope workers’ vote and turn up the heat on federal Industry Minister Christopher Pyne.
“It’s great we got the agreement up at BlueScope ... but we still need to ensure that downstream we have a viable industry,” Mr Jones said.
“Chris Pyne’s inaction shows contempt. Fix your procurement rules, fix your anti-dumping rules and put some employment support here in the Illawarra.”
Bisalloy operations manager Michael Bradmore said the anti-dumping laws were “important to everyone”.
“We’re a small-medium enterprise and all we’re looking for is a level playing field – nothing more, nothing less,” he said.
Mr Bradmore also praised BlueScope workers. “We’re so closely integrated with them; we need them as much as they need us,” he said.
“It’s a good partnership and it’s really good news to hear they’ve actually secured a long-term agreement to stay open.”
Mr Jones said Bisalloy had won three recent anti-dumping cases but “the penalties haven’t been sufficient to deal with the damage that’s been done”.
The Labor MP wants the Turnbull government to tighten anti-dumping timelines and ensure penalties are appropriate.
Mr Pyne announced changes to anti-dumping regulations earlier this month.
“They strengthen and streamline our anti-dumping laws to ensure Australian industry is not injured by dumping from foreign companies and ensure the system is more transparent,” Mr Pyne said at the time.
“The suite of reforms will crack down on uncooperative exporters, improve the merits review process, provide better support to Australian businesses engaging with the system and improve the operational effectiveness of the Anti-Dumping Commission.”
Bisalloy employs 60 people and provides hardened steel to businesses in Australia and across the world.
The products are predominately used in the resources and mining sectors.
