$25,000 Donation for Cyclone Victims

Date: 17 April 2006

The Australian Workers' Union National Secretary Bill Shorten and National President Bill Ludwig will today present a $25,000 donation to the victims of Cyclone Larry in far northern Queensland.

Mr. Shorten, who will be in Innisfail today meeting with AWU members affected by the cyclone, said the donation will be made to the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund and is in recognition of the large number of AWU members working in the sugar and banana industries who have been put of work by last month's cyclone.

"Thousands of AWU members across North Queensland have been severely affected by Cyclone Larry. Over the last few weeks I have been approached by a number of our members across Australia, wanting to lend a hand to their brothers and sisters in the North. This donation represents just a small part of the AWU's ongoing efforts at this time to assist our members in the Innisfail region" Mr. Shorten said.

Mr. Shorten & Mr. Ludwig will meet with AWU members at Innisfail District Hospital, Babinda Hospital as well a AWU members at Johnstone Shire Council and in the local sugar industry before meeting with Mayor Neil Clarke where the donation of $25,000 will be handed over.

AWU National President & Queensland Branch Secretary Bill Ludwig said the AWU's local officials in Innisfail and Cairns have been working hard over the last month to assist local AWU members who have been put out of work or out of their homes by Cyclone Larry.

"Over the coming weeks hopefully we will see more of our members moving into more permanent accommodation and have their employment issues sorted out. The last month has been very trying on AWU members in the region, particularly those working in the hospitals and for Johnstone Shire Council who have been working extremely long days to ensure that essential services are up and running in the region" Mr. Ludwig said.

For further information

Union:	The Australian Workers' Union
Phone:	03 8327 0888
Fax:	03 8327 0899
Email:	media@awu.net.au
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au

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