Jetstar has been forced into cutting more than 100 engineering jobs and shutting down its deep maintenance operation at Williamtown.
The announcement was made this morning and has devastated Hunter workers and families.
According to NSW Labor, these job losses were not unforeseen, stating it had been warning for months what could happen to the aviation industry if the Morrison Government failed to act.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Catherine King, said: “Scott Morrison must stop delaying the review of JobKeeper and give workers and businesses alike the certainty they need to plan beyond the September ‘snapback’ deadline”.
“Aviation workers are being left out and left behind by the Morrison Government’s botched handling of JobKeeper and the lack of a plan for the aviation sector,” she said.
Paterson Federal MP Meryl Swanson said the job losses would hit the local economy hard.
She added the Morrison Government had not done enough to support regional airport workers – an opinion shared by Shortland Federal MP Pat Conroy.
“The government needs to explain why it has failed to support Jetstar and Qantas, forcing these jobs to be moved out of the Hunter,” Mr Conroy said.
“It’s also disrespectful and unacceptable that Jetstar management informed their staff over a pre-recorded message that didn’t allow them to ask any further questions.
“Jetstar needs to explain why they are shifting this work to Melbourne.”
