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| Toyota shuts Altona plant and leaves thousands out of work | Toyota shuts Altona plant and leaves thousands out of work |
| (4 months later) | |
| Union estimates that 6,000 Victorians will lose their jobs as Toyota ceases car production in Australia | |
| Australian Associated Press | |
| Tue 3 Oct 2017 06.19 BST | |
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| The pain from Toyota’s long-awaited Australian exit is forecast to stretch far beyond the car manufacturer’s 2,600 out-of-work employees. | The pain from Toyota’s long-awaited Australian exit is forecast to stretch far beyond the car manufacturer’s 2,600 out-of-work employees. |
| After the last Camry rolled off the Altona North production line on Tuesday, a sprawling network of supply chain workers also prepared to embrace joblessness. | After the last Camry rolled off the Altona North production line on Tuesday, a sprawling network of supply chain workers also prepared to embrace joblessness. |
| “All up today, there are about 6,000 Victorians going to lose their jobs because Toyota is shutting down,” the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union’s Dave Smith told reporters. | “All up today, there are about 6,000 Victorians going to lose their jobs because Toyota is shutting down,” the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union’s Dave Smith told reporters. |
| The Ballarat-based OzPress, for example, was “95% Toyota”, owner Mark Dwyer said. | The Ballarat-based OzPress, for example, was “95% Toyota”, owner Mark Dwyer said. |
| “We’ve gone from 30 people to five,” he said.“We’ll keep going in a small way and, hopefully, rebuild over time ... But at this stage, it’s going to be a bit of a slow crawl.” | “We’ve gone from 30 people to five,” he said.“We’ll keep going in a small way and, hopefully, rebuild over time ... But at this stage, it’s going to be a bit of a slow crawl.” |
| Toyota’s departure marks the end of more than 90 years of Victorian car manufacturing, which began with Ford at Geelong in 1925. And when Holden rolls out of Adelaide on 20 October, the nation’s car manufacturing industry will reach the end of the road. | Toyota’s departure marks the end of more than 90 years of Victorian car manufacturing, which began with Ford at Geelong in 1925. And when Holden rolls out of Adelaide on 20 October, the nation’s car manufacturing industry will reach the end of the road. |
| Newly unemployed Toyota workers are optimistic but concerned about the future. | Newly unemployed Toyota workers are optimistic but concerned about the future. |
| “A lot of us haven’t had a job interview here for 20-odd years,” Matthew Kinson told journalists outside his workplace of 19 years. “It’s changed since we came here, filled out a bit of paper and walked in the door and started the next day. | “A lot of us haven’t had a job interview here for 20-odd years,” Matthew Kinson told journalists outside his workplace of 19 years. “It’s changed since we came here, filled out a bit of paper and walked in the door and started the next day. |
| “My concern now is that the job market is casual. We’ve got it good here, we’ve got good terms and conditions and very good wages ... It’s the non-English speaking people, who work really hard here and put a lot of effort in, who may have a little bit of difficulty finding work.” | “My concern now is that the job market is casual. We’ve got it good here, we’ve got good terms and conditions and very good wages ... It’s the non-English speaking people, who work really hard here and put a lot of effort in, who may have a little bit of difficulty finding work.” |
| The union says only about half of Ford’s workers – who lost their jobs when the manufacturer left Victoria a year ago – had moved into permanent, full-time work. | The union says only about half of Ford’s workers – who lost their jobs when the manufacturer left Victoria a year ago – had moved into permanent, full-time work. |
| “If you look at what’s happening nationally, you’ve got great fears that that’s going to happen here,” Smith said. “A lot [of Toyota workers] will struggle to find full-time jobs. They’ll want full-time jobs, they just won’t be able to get them.” | “If you look at what’s happening nationally, you’ve got great fears that that’s going to happen here,” Smith said. “A lot [of Toyota workers] will struggle to find full-time jobs. They’ll want full-time jobs, they just won’t be able to get them.” |
| Toyota announced its departure from Australian car manufacturing in 2014 and said it had since put more than 2200 workers through a job skills program, which will continue for another six months. About 260 workers previously indicated they would retire after Tuesday, while 130 were being deployed into other areas of the company. | Toyota announced its departure from Australian car manufacturing in 2014 and said it had since put more than 2200 workers through a job skills program, which will continue for another six months. About 260 workers previously indicated they would retire after Tuesday, while 130 were being deployed into other areas of the company. |
| “The company will continue to provide the Australian market with a diverse range of high quality vehicles,” Toyota Australia’s president, Dave Buttner, said. | “The company will continue to provide the Australian market with a diverse range of high quality vehicles,” Toyota Australia’s president, Dave Buttner, said. |
| The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the loss of the car industry “did not have to happen” but the move was forced when the government stopped financially supporting car markers. | The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the loss of the car industry “did not have to happen” but the move was forced when the government stopped financially supporting car markers. |
| But the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said car manufacturers were leaving in response to changing markets, not a lack of subsidies, valued at about $7bn since 2001. | But the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said car manufacturers were leaving in response to changing markets, not a lack of subsidies, valued at about $7bn since 2001. |
| The Victorian industry minister, Wade Noonan, said the state government had spent more than $100m on targeted assistance programs for automotive workers. | The Victorian industry minister, Wade Noonan, said the state government had spent more than $100m on targeted assistance programs for automotive workers. |
| Business (Australia) | |
| Australian economy | |
| Victoria | |
| Melbourne | |
| Australian politics | |
| Coalition | |
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