by Cam Lucadou-Wells and Violet Li
Up to 151 workers at Oceania Glass’s Dandenong South factory are set to be laid off in coming weeks, after being told by administrators that Australia’s only glass manufacturer will cease.
A devastated worker at the Dandenong South factory was one of 56 workers finishing up tomorrow (28 February).
He says they were told by administrators that there was “no money” to pay out their entitlements, including redundancies.
They could face months without income, waiting for payments under the federal entitlement-and-redundancy scheme.
“We were told we can’t apply until liquidation, and that won’t be for another five months,” he said.
“They’re running at a loss now. That’s why they’re closing down.
“I might have got my last pay cheque and it’s already gone to bills. I might get paid for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday but after that it’s not looking good.
“Many of us have got mortgages and rent to pay. Some of us have been here 30 or 40 years.
“It’s not like there’s another glass place we can go to.”
In a statement on 27 February, voluntary administrators stated they were unable to secure a buyer for the business as a whole.
“Regretfully glass manufacturing at the company’s Dandenong factory will cease shortly.
“As a result, the administrators have had to make the difficult decision to make 56 employees at the Dandenong manufacturing facility redundant effective immediately with the potential for a further 95 redundancies over the coming weeks as the company’s float line and production facility is wound down.”
Meanwhile, the administrators at Grant Thornton Australia were exploring the sale of the company’s national distribution business with “several interested parties through a due diligence process”.
The distribution facility co-located in Dandenong will “continue to operate as usual over the forthcoming weeks”.
“We wish to extend our thanks to the employees of Oceania Glass for their patience and co-operation during this difficult time as we begin the process of ceasing manufacturing operations at the Dandenong factory,” joint administrator Lisa Gibb said.
“We acknowledge this latest outcome is stressful for employees and their families and are providing support services to those affected.”
Oceania Glass went into the hands of voluntary administrators at Grant Thornton Australia on 4 February.
The business was continuing to trade, with a view to selling to an “appropriate buyer”, the administrators stated at the time.
According to its website, Oceania Glass sold its first glass in 1856 and is Australia’s only maker of architectural glass.
Prior to its collapse, Oceania Glass submitted to the Anti-Dumping Commission that the Australian industry had suffered “material injury” as a result of clear laminate glass imported from Thailand and China at dumped and subsidised prices.
Last week, employees and the Australian Workers Union pleaded for the Government to save the industry.
Glass worker Dwayne Gore, who has been working at Oceania Glass for 30 years, said people working here were hard workers, and they all had mortgages, children, and families.
“What they do here is actually extraordinary. You only have to walk down that plant where they’re making the glass, and you’ll understand the actual techniques and skills that the people have got here,” he said.
“People have given up their time, come in on weekends, done the hard work.”
He has been worried about the younger crowd who just landed in this industry.
“There are people here that need to go find a job if the business goes down. It’s hard enough out there to try and find something even if it wasn’t closing down,” he said.
“The government needs to do something about it.”
The union was encouraged by the recent announcement by the Prime Minister to back the Whyalla steelworks and calls on him to extend the same industry support to Oceania Glass.
We need that same recognition for Australia’s last remaining glass manufacturer,” AWU Victorian Secretary Ronnie Hayden said.
“Oceania Glass isn’t just another manufacturer. It’s the only float glass manufacturing line in Australasia. Once these skills and capabilities are lost, they’re gone forever.
“We can’t afford to let another critical industry disappear from our shores.”
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil toured the Dandenong facility with AWU officials on Friday 21 February, to witness the operation and meet with workers whose livelihoods hang in the balance.
“We’re really concerned about what’s been happening on-site here over the last few months,” she said.
