anz to save gunns bacon, page-7

Unions want Gunns mill fast tracked From: AAP December 19, 2009 9:20PM

THE forestry union wants the controversial Gunns pulp mill project to be fast-tracked to secure work for more than 250 workers about to lose their jobs.
PaperlinX will shed 252 jobs with the closure of most of its manufacturing plants in north-west Tasmania by March.

A further 170 jobs could be lost by the middle of 2010 if its remaining mills in Burnie can't be sold.

The Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union says the workers want to work at the Gunns mill.

National Secretary John Sutton says the state and federal governments, which have approved the mill, should intervene to get the $2.5 billion project off the ground.

"Here we have the unique situation of having hundreds of experienced workers available to work at the Gunns mill if there is sufficient political will to make it happen,'' he said in a statement.





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"It will be disastrous for the Tasmanian economy if this workforce is allowed to wither, and governments should be doing everything in their power to fast track the mill.''

Gunns is looking for a financing partner before work can begin.