HUNDREDS of City of Whittlesea residents will lose their jobs through the closure of Ford’s Broadmeadows plant and its impact on associated businesses, according to the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.
A union official said at least 40 per cent of the 650 Ford workers facing redundancies in 2016 came from postcodes in the City of Whittlesea.
Paul Difelice, the union’s vehicle division regional secretary, said 264 of its members at Broadmeadows Ford came from the City of Whittlesea, but other unions might have other Whittlesea residents affected.
He said hundreds of jobs in associated industries, such as component supplies, would disappear in the northern suburbs.
“It could be 700, we’re still trying to work it out,” he said.
“The people left at Ford are the ones who wanted a job for life and had never put their hand up for a redundancy package (in the past).”
He said 100 Ford Broadmeadows workers met Industry Minister Greg Combet last week to talk about retraining and other help.
A chain of suppliers would be affected, said Mick Butera, the executive officer of NORTH Link, a regional economic development advocacy group that includes Whittlesea council representatives.
He said first-tier suppliers provided Ford with components such as dashboards. These businesses were in turn supplied by second-tier suppliers which, for example, might provide them with plastic to make components, he said. Second-tier suppliers were supported by third-tier suppliers that might provide materials to make plastic.
Mr Butera said businesses in the supply chain might rely on Ford for only part of their income but still had to diversify into non-automotive work.
He said one plastic manufacturer had foreseen a “black future” in the car industry and had diversified to make casino gaming chips and baby bottle teats.
