Major Job Loss Fears ar Maryvale paper mill ahead of Christmas
On December 21, the “Daily Telegraph” reported that as Christmas approached, a paper mill in Maryvale, Victoria, Australia faced the risk of major layoffs.
Up to 200 workers at the largest Latrobe Valley businesses fear they will lose their jobs before Christmas due to a timber shortage. Chocolate box
The paper mill in Maryvale, Victoria is at risk of layoffs (Source: “Daily Telegraph”)
Opal Australian Paper, based in Maryvale, will suspend white paper production this week due to legal obstacles to indigenous logging that have made the wood for white paper all but unavailable.
The company is Australia’s only manufacturer of A4 copy paper, but its stock of wood to sustain production is nearly depleted. Baklava box
While state governments said they had been assured there would be no layoffs before Christmas, CFMEU national secretary Michael O’Connor sounded the alarm that some jobs were imminent. He wrote on social media: “Opal management is negotiating with the Victorian government to turn the proposed 200 job stoppage into permanent redundancies. This is the so-called transition plan.”
The state government has previously announced that all native logging will be banned by 2020 and has pledged to help the industry transition through plantations. Baklava box
Workers have started an emergency protest at the Maryvale paper mill in a bid to keep their jobs.
The union has also warned that unless urgent action is taken, Australian fine paper will soon be completely dependent on imports.
A spokesman for Opal Paper Australia said they would continue to research alternatives to wood. She said: “The process is complex and alternatives must meet a stringent set of criteria, including species, availability, quantity, cost, logistics and long-term supply. We are still exploring the possibility of alternative wood supplies, but given the current Difficult situation, white paper production is expected to be affected around December 23. Workers have not stopped working yet, but it is expected that several working groups will temporarily stop working in the next few weeks.” chocolate box
Opal is considering reducing or closing its graphic paper production at the mill due to supply issues, which could result in job losses, the spokesman said.
Post time: Dec-27-2022
