Clare
CURRAN
MP for Dunedin South

5 September 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
Let Hillside workers put their case

Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran is urging a parliamentary select committee to allow Hillside workers put their case to have trains built at the KiwiRail engineering workshops.

She has called on National Party List MP, Michael Woodhouse, who lives in Dunedin and who sits on the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee, to support them.

The petition is expected to come before the select committee this week.

“It will be interesting to see whether Michael Woodhouse stands up for the Hillside workers or whether he’ll just toe the Government line and try to dismiss the issue.

“I would be hugely concerned if they are not able to personally put their case on why they should be given a chance to build Kiwi rolling stock, rather than having it built offshore. Their voices need to be heard,” Clare Curran said.

“Nearly 14,000 people signed a petition - presented to Parliament on 9 August by the Rail, Maritime Transport Union - in support of keeping New Zealand jobs for local workers.

“Yet it now appears the concerns of Hillside workers are being dismissed in a quite arrogant way by the Government- controlled select committee.

“Michael Woodhouse sits on that committee. The workers at Hillside and the people of Dunedin deserve to know what his position is,” Clare Curran said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media