The Electrical Trades Union want the government to keep its hands off the electricity network.
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While in Wollongong for a conference the union launched the “stop the sell-off” campaign aimed at the remaining networks in public hands.
In 2017 the government sold 50.4 per cent each of Endeavour, which supplies the Illawarra’s electricity, and of Ausgrid.
Essential Energy remains in public hands.
According to polling commissioned by the ETU this month more than half of the respondents didn’t know 50 per cent of some energy providers were in private hands.
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Once they were told the network was part privately owned, just 18 per cent supported selling the remainder of the network.
ETU secretary Justin Page said the privatisation of part of the network had not been a success.
“Privatisation has failed the people of NSW, with electricity prices skyrocketing and reliability decreasing,” Mr Page said.
“For our members it’s seen a decrease in jobs, a decrease in job security and wage stagnation over four years. Our fundamental conditions of employment have been seriously affected.”
Labor leader Michael Daley was at the conference on Tuesday to point out he was opposed to selling off the network.
“Labor will not sell one single more pole or wire,” Mr Daley said.
“We will keep the remaining 49 per cent of the electricity industry in in NSW in public hands.”
Mr Daley also announced a promise that dovetailed in with Monday’s commitment to supply seven gigawatts of new renewable energy if Labor won the election next month.
“We will make an investment of $11 million to train and accredit 4500 people in the electrical trades to get this huge job done,” he said.
Labor will not sell one single more pole or wire.
- Michael Daley
“We do it because we believe in it.”
The funds will be used to train people to install solar panels and batteries.
Mr Page said the $11 million training package would help the solar industry.
“We look across at solar across the country at the moment; it’s rife with labor hire and overseas workers who are unlicenced and unskilled,” Mr Page said.
“This announcement will go a long way to ensuring that we have trained, competent and licenced electricians installing fundamental assets across our state.”