Liberty Bell Bay Terminates Smelter Workers as 6-8 Week Skeleton Crew Stays On
Updated
Updated · The Examiner · Jul 20
Liberty Bell Bay Terminates Smelter Workers as 6-8 Week Skeleton Crew Stays On
2 articles · Updated · The Examiner · Jul 20
Summary
Liberty Bell Bay workers were officially terminated on July 20, with most staff finishing their last day and only a small crew staying for 6-8 weeks to meet statutory obligations.
Union officials said high Hydro power prices helped sink a sale of the smelter, arguing energy costs became the decisive factor in the closure.
Workers received their last full pay last Thursday and will get paperwork within about two weeks detailing accrued entitlements for redundancy claims.
Annual leave accrued since administrators were appointed on March 23 will be paid by the administrator, while earlier entitlements must go through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee.
Tasmanian officials and local employment agencies are now offering job-search and re-skilling support, as unions say the lost smelter jobs are unlikely to return.