The closure of National Foods’ Wetherill Park production plant is the devastating endgame of deregulation in the milk industry. The ACCC bears responsibility for the lost jobs because it approved Kirin Holdings Company’s take-over of Australian-owned Dairy Farmers, knowing that sackings are the inevitable result of conglomerates rationalising their operations.

“The Transport Workers’ Union warned the ACCC in 2008 that limited divestitures by Kirin would be insufficient to protect milk workers’ jobs at National Foods,” TWU State Secretary Wayne Forno said this afternoon, after the announcement that 237 jobs would go at National Foods’ Wetherill Park plant.

“The ACCC refused to heed that warning. Now we see the awful consequences of business practices that disregard the importance of local community and family life.
“Since the merger with Lion Nathan last year, employees have been worried sick that their jobs would disappear. Today’s news that the plant will close, and operations shift to existing infrastructure in Victoria, confirms their worst fears.

“An efficient plant with dedicated staff and a fine history of more than two decades is to be mothballed, and 237 families are thrown into chaos in an area of existing high unemployment.

“The Transport Workers’ Union will make sure that every employee receives the proper entitlements, redundancy payments, retraining, financial advice, and any other benefits that will lessen the burden placed on the local community by this thoughtless and harsh decision.”

►The TWU has a proud history of representing milk production workers for more than 40 years. TWU officials will be available for media comment.

Media contact: Michael Wong 0404 567 054