Thread: The Whyalla steel works must be saved, at any cost

This is to express support and care for all those whose jobs are threatened.
Locally we've been through similar with the repetitive threats to BSL port Kembla and feel sad to see another region going through the same thing , along with all the other employees nationwide.
Steel making is a hard dangerous and complex industry whose employees have dedicated years to learn specific jobs and are now having nowhere to use many of those skills.
Please don't turn this political as it so easily can be.

i dont feel the same way.
this is a company who has failed to adapt to a changing market.
why should we be propping them up?

Originally Posted by Eevo

i dont feel the same way.
this is a company who has failed to adapt to a changing market.
why should we be propping them up?

Because soon there'll be nothing left. They say we need to transition to a service economy, but what will there be left to service?

Sure, they've made some unwise decisions but there's a lot more to it than that. There's a whole community at risk. Newcastle has been through it (and come out the other side), Wollongong faces it and now Whyalla.

Steelmaking is a difficult business to be in and being world class and competitive is not enough when China is dumping steel below cost on the world market.

We need to keep steelmaking in this country, it is a vital part of a healthy economy - its the basis of pretty much everything we build.

Cheers,
Jon

Originally Posted by Eevo

i dont feel the same way.
this is a company who has failed to adapt to a changing market.
why should we be propping them up?

No eevo the "market" hasn't changed, just over the last 8-10 years one country has quadrupled production and then dumped it globally.
When a steelworks invests for a 20+ year run on certain equipment , it's very hard to reshape without major losses.

Originally Posted by Eevo

i dont feel the same way.
this is a company who has failed to adapt to a changing market.
why should we be propping them up?

your not really that stupid are you?

hopefully it is just another **** stirring post....

Originally Posted by jon3950

We need to keep steelmaking in this country, it is a vital part of a healthy economy - its the basis of pretty much everything we build.

on a par with the car industry but that was sacrificed to ideology as well.

let hope this one fairs better, tho i doubt it...

Originally Posted by Eevo

i dont feel the same way.
this is a company who has failed to adapt to a changing market.
why should we be propping them up?

But $40mil on a footbridge is OK?, Building an office block (on parklands) with shops in it when multiple shops and offices already built in nthe CBD are empty is a good investment for government?

I find it interesting people want to throw money at Holdens (and I do believe we should support the workers) but they are in an area with multiple other businesses and factories or a short travel to same. There are options..

The whole town of Whyalla has built up around steel manufacture and treatment. It has also been involved in ship building. Should a town of 7,000 people be thrown away because we think the current managers are no good and make bad decisions? If so looks like maybe SA as a whole should be disreguarded in the same way for the same reasons!

The Govt and businesses themselves should feel obligated to use Australian steel and products. If you want a future for your kids then now is the time to act,

New managers etc in place at ARRIUM and if required One Steel but keep both businesses. After WW2 australian governments realised we relied overseas for almost everything, so started heavily pushing industry, steel works, car manufacturing etc started and all was good.

We need to get back to a spot where we can support and supply ourselves and our families etc. If this means the freetrade agreements need to be ripped up, so be it... we seem to lose on almost all of them anyway.

There are people on this forum who have or have just lost jobs as a result of this. I for one fully support the Govt dipping very deep (with conditions if they must) to keep them both active.

Stop spending govt money buying dream catchers and totem poles and start using it to keep the country alive.

my 2c

(and not a direct go at you Eevo!! just me blowing steam off)

Originally Posted by digger

I find it interesting people want to throw money at Holdens (and I do believe we should support the workers)

hooked by the ideology it seems...

it wasn't about the workers

it is all about the skills base

now that the car makers, the aircraft engineering and now it seems the heavy steel industry collapses there will be a total collapse of the skills base and the ability to keep a pool of engineering in AU

without it there will be little of consequence left to do here...

i see the wheel is turning in china now as well

industry shutting down and moving to india because labour is too dear in china

southern usa is starting to get the same way... wages are so low they are starting to talk about industrializing again

all pretty sad really IMHO but obviously smarter minds than mine are happy to see it all vanish up the IPA's rear orifice...