Boeing to slash up to 600 Melbourne jobs

[Nick W.]

Aircraft maker Boeing will slash up to 600 jobs from its Melbourne plant at Fishermen's Bend by the end of next year.

All production at Boeing's Melbourne base, except for its Dreamliner contract, will be relocated to its Sydney plant, with 350 jobs immediately axed.

A Boeing spokesman says workers have been aware of the job cuts since May.

But Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) state secretary Steve Dargavel says the manufacturer is slashing jobs needlessly, as it attempts to drive up the price of its Sydney site.

"We believe that this company plans to sell the Sydney site and it is about trying to increase the sale price of that site by transferring contracts there," he said.

"This is the short-term profit gouging of which the union speaks. It is absolutely that this company sacks hundreds of workers from this site.

"In this case it is not because of market downturn, it is because the company has decided to act in its self interest at the expense of the workforce and the community," he added.

"We think that this company needs to be held to account by government."

Yesterday car maker Ford announced it would be cutting about 350 jobs at its Broadmeadows and Geelong plants.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...23/2344440.htm