UNIONS TASMANIA has condemned Aurora’s decision this week to double planned redundancies from 40 to 80 workers and its announcement that further job losses are to be expected.

“Just four weeks ago Aurora said it wanted 40 redundancies but now it says 80,” said Unions Tasmania Secretary Kevin Harkins.

“Do they know what is going on down there or are they just making it up as they go along?

“Tasmanian power customers and Aurora staff deserve a reliable, world class power supply but Aurora management appears to not be up to the job.

“Management and back office costs have more than doubled in five years and power prices are through the roof, but they’re slashing reliable service and frontline jobs while flying in expensive contractors to desperately try to fill gaps.

“Blind Freddy can see Aurora management is making a complete hash out of a company that Tasmanians could once be proud of.

“The similarities with Qantas are striking—a once great Australian company being cut to bits by overpaid managers who believe in the industrial relations ideology of Wall Street.”

Mr Harkins said the longer term cost of Aurora’s redundancy program was a loss of much-needed skills to the mainland, which would be difficult to replace.

“When power workers are made redundant they don’t sit around waiting for the job to come back, they pack up their families and head to the mining states where they can earn a lot more for less grief.

“We’re losing jobs, we’re losing families and we’re losing communities because of this short-sighted and unnecessary decision by a reckless and foolish Aurora management.”