Fears for 600 Alcoa jobs

9 Feb 2012, 6:42 pm   -   Source: SBS, Gareth Boreham
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Union leaders are confident they can save thousands of jobs that rely on the operations of Alcoa's Point Henry smelter, but government help may be necessary.

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Union leaders have left a meeting with management of the Alcoa manufacturing plant confident they can save thousands of jobs that rely on its operations.

Despite being hard-hit by the high Australian dollar, the company maintains it wants to keep the plant open.

Alcoa is reviewing the viability of its Point Henry smelter and will decide over the next four months whether the gate closes on the 49-year-old plant for good.

Union representatives believe t600 jobs at the plant - along with thousands more in the Geelong area - can be saved.

The company and government would have to invest heavily in the smelter's ageing facilities in order to keep it functioning.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has held a succession of meetings with Alcoa representatives, and he hasn't ruled out offering taxpayer-funded financial assistance to keep it running.

The state government is also considering offering more electricity subsidies to the company.

Union delegates are set to put their case to politicians in Canberra next week, as Alcoa's employees play a nervous waiting game.

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Your Comments

not suprised

insider - from ivebeenaround, 4 months ago

the point henry plant is WAY past its used by date its old dirty technology they have been keeping it going as long as it was able to turn a profit no job losses at the Portland plant ? alcoa have been dangling the expansion carrot in front of governments for decades in order to get the grants and power subsidies and all we got for it was ..... 0 simple fact is the electricity costs to much and if the workers took a %50 pay cut they would still be getting paid to much

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