SA: Mitsubishi welcomes union support

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2004
SA: Mitsubishi welcomes union support

ADELAIDE, April 29 AAP - Embattled carmaker Mitsubishi has welcomed support and cooperation
from the union movement as uncertainty continues over the future of the Australian operations.

Senior company officials met with union representatives today including Australian
Manufacturing Workers' Union national secretary Doug Cameron.

The company said the union raised concerns about job security for Mitsubishi's 3,000
Adelaide workers.

But it also described the talks as positive and said it appreciated the union's backing
as it continued to work towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of the local operations.

"We are committed to keeping our employees, the unions and all our stakeholders up
to date with information as it becomes available," said Mitsubishi Australia president
Tom Phillips.

"Mitsubishi Motors is committed to the Australian marketplace and our customers and
I am confident we will be building a new car in 2005."

Before today's meeting Mr Cameron said it was important to South Australia's manufacturing
industry that everything possible was done to ensure Mitsubishi's long-term future.

"We've got to get behind Mitsubishi, we've got to get behind the workers," he told ABC Radio.

"We've got to do whatever it takes to keep this plant open and to keep manufacturing
jobs in this state."

Mr Cameron also questioned the federal government's suggestion that there was little
point offering the carmaker more financial assistance at the same time as it announced
a support package for sugar farmers worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Concerns for Mitsubishi's Australian operations escalated last week when German-US
auto giant and major shareholder DaimlerChrysler pulled out of a multi-billion dollar
bailout for Mitsubishi's Japanese operations.

The Japanese carmaker was expected to post a hefty loss for 2003, largely the result
of falling sales in North America.

Other companies in the Mitsubishi group now plan to rework the rescue plan but what
that means for the Adelaide operations remains unclear.

A Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi official said last night a request for government help in
restructuring the debt-ridden group was not under consideration.

AAP tjd/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: MITSUBISHI SECOND DAYLEAD

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