Claims that the Australian Government's emissions trading scheme will force big job losses in the mining sector aren't backed up by evidence, a major union said.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), the largest and most powerful trade union representing construction workers in
Australia, has released a report showing at least 10,000 coal-mining jobs will be created by 2020 under the Government's proposed ETS.
The report also showed six billion dollars (5.6 billion U.S. dollars) had been spent on new coal-mining developments since late last year.
Mining company advertisements that claimed large job losses under an emissions trading scheme were "deceitful", the union's general president
Tony Maher said.
"Our report is based on all the information in their reports, plus the massive investment pipeline that is publicly available where the major
mining companies are investing in massive infrastructure," Maher said.
"Numerous mines have been commissioned, some are under construction, there'll be at least 13 new coal mines by 2015 alone. "All the coal companies had achieved was a great deal of confusion,
Maher said.
"It is a disgraceful dash for cash," he said, referring to the coal industry's demands for 10 billion dollars (9.3 billion U.S. dollars) in
government handouts.