Up to 100 jobs have been cut from a mining equipment manufacturer on Tasmania’s north-west coast.
Caterpillar Underground Mining in Burnie says between 50 and 100 casual workers, provided by a labour-hire agency, were let go yesterday.
It comes after the company axed about 100 contractors earlier this year.
The firm’s human resources manager Brett Smith says the cuts reflects the global downturn in mining.
“We definitely have had a decline in orders and our workforce matches the orders so…if the number of machines we build reduces then we need to reduce our workforce,” he said.
“It’s basically that simple.”
Manufacturing Workers Union spokesman John Short wants the Coalition to honour a Labor election commitment to support the company.
“The previous Labor Government offered I think it was $ 10 million in co-investment to help secure the jobs for the long-term and obviously what we’d be asking for is the new member for Braddon, Brett Whiteley, to be getting on the phone to Tony Abbott this morning to make sure that that $ 10 million is still going to be available.”
Mr Whiteley has been contacted for comment.
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