Australia’s timber industry is at loggerheads with the Australian National Training Authority.
The union representing timber workers, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, is threatening to run independent candidates in the federal election if it does not get a commitment on training.
Union spokesman Michael O’Connor said any training plan must be formulated between the timber businesses and workers, not an outside body.
And he said the government and opposition must commit to the future of the industry, adding: “So this is not about asking for a big handout from industry, it’s about getting the process right.”
