Australia’s newest union will be ‘laser focused’ on wood supply, delivering for timber towns and, importantly, ensuring that an enlarged Koala Park does not unnecessarily impact thousands of jobs on NSW’s north coast.
That is, according to Alison Rudman, Secretary of the NSW District of the CFMEU’s Manufacturing Division, who spoke to Wood Central about the push to establish the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU).
From today, hundreds of timber workers (including those in the hardwood supply chain) will have until April 14 to vote to demerge from the CFEMU Construction Division: “This is a vote to do what is best for timber towns,” Ms Rudman said, adding that a “yes vote” will lead to a bespoke union focused on “good timber jobs” rather than (alleged) crime and criminality.
“The TFTU believes in robust industrial relations, where we work together to do what is best for our members. We remain laser-focused on the issues that impact our members, like wood supply, recognition of skills, and the protection of timber jobs in timber towns.”
Alison Rudman, Secretary of the NSW District of the CFMEU’s Manufacturing Division on the push to establish the Timber, Furnishing and Textiles Union (TFTU)
The push comes weeks after Ms Rudman and senior workplace delegates lobbied members of the Chris Minns government to break from the hard left and rethink plans to establish a 176,000-hectare Koala Park on the north coast of NSW – a plan that would put more than 9,000 jobs at risk. Instead, the union is pushing for a more sensible 36,000 to 53,000-hectare park – which would be added to the existing 136,000-hectare protected National Park.
According to a report published by Ernst + Young, more than $2.9 billion in revenue, $1.1 billion in gross domestic product and 9,000 jobs are tied to NSW’s hardwood timber supply chain – with two-thirds of the state’s nation-building hardwood-tied up in plans for an enlarged Koala Park.
- For more information about the challenges around the Australian wood supply, click here for Wood Central’s article from last year.
