Flying Doctor Grounds Aussie Jobs

Date: 03 April 2000

Fears are increasing that the Royal Flying Doctor Service is about to send its lucrative aircraft maintenance work to Canada, costing more than 50 Australian jobs.

The Australian Workers Union is calling on the NSW Government to use its influence in funding the organization, to ensure the local jobs aren't sent offshore.

AWU state secretary Russ Collison says the Flying Doctor has put the contract to maintain the turbine engines of its fleet out to tender.

He says the Australian Company, Bankstown-based Pacific Turbine is set to be dumped in favour of Canada's Pratt and Whitney.

Collison says, while the Australia firm is competitive in all aspects of the tender, the Canadian firm is favoured because it also manufactures the spare parts used by the planes.

He says Australia companies should be given a weighting when tendering for work, where they are price competitive - particularly where public money is involved.

The AWU is seeking a meeting with the NSW Government to ensure the work remains in Australia.

"These sort of decisions represent the need for a credible industry policy to promote Australian manufacturing," Collison says.

For further information

Contact:	Peter Lewis
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://workers.labor.net.au/

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