A major union has slammed the new federal budget for ignoring industries in which women dominate the workforce. 

CFMEU Manufacturing, which represents textile clothing and footwear (TCF) workers, says the Federal 2021 Budget “ignores vulnerable workers in the female-dominated industry”. 

WHile the Federal Government has promoted its new spending spree as a ‘budget for women’, the lack of support for TCF workers appears to be a major missed opportunity. 

The union says the budget fails to protect workers and fails to promote best practice in the manufacturing industry.

“Parts of the industry are still underground and characterised by mass exploitation, sweatshops and appalling conditions where wage theft, harassment and poor safety abounds,” CFMEU TCF national secretary Jenny Kruschel said.

“A ‘budget for women’ can’t actively ignore the wage theft, super theft and appalling conditions of thousands of women.”

Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) has been calling for the government to contribute $6.75 million over three years to support and expand their operations, but this suggestion has now been ignored in successive budgets. 

ECA was created to respond to worker exploitation in textile and footwear supply chains, and enjoyed Commonwealth support until it was cut by the Abbott government in 2014.

“ECA’s call for government assistance is supported by not just workers and the union, but hundreds of companies and supply chain firms committed to doing the right thing and wanting to promote the accredited and ethical, Australian-made part of the industry,” Ms Kruschel said.

The CFMEU says its calls for reinstatement of funding continue to fall on deaf ears, and has threatened to mobilise “thousands of workers in the industry’s supply chain to lobby political parties for commitments ahead of the next federal election”.