Ford's announced today that it will cut 640 jobs before Xmas
"Today's announcement by Ford that it will be cutting 640 jobs before Xmas is deeply disappointing" Ms Vamvakinou said today.
"In addition to its plant in Geelong, Ford also has a large factory located in my own electorate of Calwell."
"Such job losses are not only devastating for the workers involved and their families, they will also have a devastating impact on our local community as well, which is heavily reliant on the manufacturing industry for employment" Ms Vamvakinou said.
"The latest job losses announced by Ford are symptomatic of the impoverished state that Australian manufacturing is in today."
"Over the last 18 months, the number of manufacturing jobs that have been lost in Calwell has continued to rise. 500 jobs lost at Autoliv, 40 jobs at Kozmo Industries, 151 jobs at Kraft, and before today's announcement, 250 jobs at Ford between its Broadmeadows and Geelong plants, and the list goes on."
"Calwell has become yet another barometer of just how bad things are in Australia's manufacturing industry under this government" Ms Vamvakinou said.
"It is ordinary working families who are having to pay for this government's lack of action when it comes to salvaging Australia's manufacturing industry."
"At a time when the government is trumpeting Australia's economic prosperity, working men and women continue to lose their jobs."
"As Australia's manufacturing industries continue to move off shore, more Australians will lose their jobs."
"Under the Howard government, industrial and manufacturing jobs have been a significant loser. Job security in the manufacturing sector and elsewhere has increasingly become a thing of the past, something that we are again witnessing with the latest job losses at Ford."
"The Howard government has no answer when it comes to helping Australia's struggling manufacturing industry. Since 1996, Australian manufacturing figures have continued to fall, while manufacturing job losses have continued to rise and spiral out of control."
"The fact that these job losses will occur in the lead up to Xmas makes them doubly cruel."
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