Union proposes new industry plan

NATIONAL: The national clothing union has placed tariff freezes, onshore manufacturing, environmental and ethical concerns and workers' rights high on its TCF Review wish list.

In papers tendered to the Rudd Government as part of its national review of the industry, the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA) lobbied for a new TCF Industry plan that would run to 2020. As part of this, the group asked that onshore industry be safeguarded by freezing current tariff levels and requested it consider deferring the drop in tariffs scheduled for 2010 and 2015.

The Government's Strategic Investment Program (SIP) should also continue "at least to 2020 as an expanded and extended program, with funding levels returned to original post-2000 annual allocations and the removal of modulation [the process used to ensure that total grant payments for a particular year do not exceed the allocated funds for that year]," the submission said.

It also recommended companies receiving funding be obliged to demonstrate their impact on local manufacturing employment and commitment to ethical supply chains. The removal of the SIP's $200,000 threshold to open up access to small to medium companies was also proposed.

With regard to government procurement, the introduction of Federal and State TCF procurement policies that favoured local, ethically proven suppliers was recommended, as was the accreditation of all clothing companies to the Homeworkers Code of Practice (HWCP).

The union's submission also suggested the development of standards to promote "ethical, clean and green" branding for Australian product, tax incentives for companies to invest in skills and training, an industry-wide training audit, continued funding of accredited training for outworkers and national and parallel state legislation to regulate outworker employment. It also proposed the establishment of a TCF Innovation Council - a tripartite body of government, industry and union representatives - with a remit to foster an innovative and sustainable future industry.

The review, headed by the dean of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Professor Roy Green, is expected to issue its final report on August 31.

By Belinda Smart