Federal Government’s promise that funding cuts will not lead to job losses has been rejected.
The Australian printing
industry has spurned promises from the Federal Government that recent funding cuts to the public service will not lead to job losses, reports ABC.
As part of the government’s A$550 million ($562 million/€434 million) savings plan, printing allowances will be reduced and political and department publications will be made available online.
ABC notes that the Printing Industries Association claims that the 14,000 companies it represents are “already struggling with the high Australian dollar, shrinking margins and increasing competition”.
Printing Industries Association CEO Bill Healey commented: “There’s a whole host of areas like transaction mail, government forms, that could completely destroy the industry if the government in an ill-advised way proceeded down an e-platform model.”
Healey claims that the plans could put 100 jobs at risk and encourage governments and departments to make similar printing cuts, and will force a ripple effect to equipment suppliers and graphic designers.
Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong has reiterated the approach of finding “non-staffing efficiencies” as opposed to reducing jobs.