56 jobs Alcoa jobs to go in restructure

Peter Farago
FIFTY-SIX workers at Alcoa Australia Rolled Products (AARP) will lose their jobs when the company closes one of two Point Henry ingot casting facilities next year.
The company announced a restructure of Geelong and Sydney operations yesterday after a review to strengthen the business’s ongoing sustainability.
Alcoa said it would close its Sydney common alloy, coil and foil operations, cutting demand for common alloy ingots from Point Henry.
The company told workers of the redundancies yesterday and said expressions of interest would be sought from employees, where applicable.
The redundancies would occur over the next seven months, AARP managing director Mike McKinstry said.
“This decision has not been easy and it has only been made after long and careful consideration,” Mr McKinstry said.
He said counselling and financial planning services would be available for affected workers.
Mr McKinstry said cheaper imports, rising labour and raw materials costs and the exchange rate had affected Alcoa’s manufacturing business.
The job losses do not affect the Point Henry smelter or Anglesea power station, he said.
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Geelong metals organiser John Irvine described the job losses as “a small step to stop a major haemorrhage”.
“There was some concern that all of Point Henry’s rolled products was in jeopardy,” Mr Irvine said.
“This will stave it off in the short term.”
“It’s better to get a tap on the head to lose this amount of people instead of being punched in the stomach and shut it all down,” he said.
Mr Irvine said Alcoa woes were caused by a lack of commitment from the Federal Government to support the manufacturing industry.
“Fabricated steel is landing on our shores from China and it’s cheaper to buy then the raw product here.
“It’s a real concern right around Australia and we are feeling it here in Geelong,” he said.
But Mr Irvine praised Alcoa management for working proactively to minimise the damage to Geelong workers.