3 October 2013 Attention all Cairns based media

Member for Cook taken to task over electricity job cuts insult

Cyclone heroes face uncertain future as axe set to fall Offensive remarks made by LNP MP for Cook, David Kempton labeling Ergon workers as part of an unproductive Electrical Trades Union workforce have landed the first term MP in hot water today. ETU State Organiser Stuart Traill described the comments made at meeting he attended as at best offensive. Further Mr Traill accused Mr Kempton of discrediting the hard working members who maintain the network and keep the power on during cyclones and weather events, to make it easier to outsource their jobs and privatise the industry. It is a grubby attempt to make it easier to privatise assets and slash jobs by discrediting workers who enjoy a high degree of community respect. A poll last year of 400 Cairns residents showed that an overwhelming 85% of people had a positive view of Ergon workers and respected the work they do. Mr Traill said. What is particularly sickening is that we know Ergon have already axed 80 front line jobs in Far North Queensland and there are more than 160 on the block, all this while Minister McArdle is out there taking credit for Ergon being prepared for storm season. He said. McArdle in a media Statement yesterday said; the company has been working hard to maintain its vast network across regional Queensland in preparation for summer by inspecting, maintaining and replacing aged assets The ETU is of the view that any preparedness for storm season is in spite of, not as a result of anything this Government has done, our hardworking members are out there doing the work under the extreme pressure of cutbacks, information blackouts and job cuts. So we have McArdle out there talking up Ergon as being prepared and ready while cutting jobs and services and Kempton slagging off our members who do the inspecting, maintaining and replacing, you just cant trust a word this Government says, Mr Traill said. We call on Minister McArdle to lift the information blackout and guarantee there will be no privatisation of electricity assets, no privatisation of the work done by Ergon workers and no privatisation of jobs so that Queenslanders can rest assured that when a weather event occurs there will be trained professionals ready and available to respond as they have done so many times before.
For further comments or interview contact; Stuart Traill (State Organiser) 0488 225 625 Michael Haire (State Organiser) 0430 072 049 Andrew Irvine (Media Officer) 0448 633 858