Re: Tram manufacture

["Chris" <chrisc@fl.net.au>]

You will probably find that some of the "aussie" builders are subsidaries of
the European builders (Alstom, ABB etc)
Unlike most Austrailian owned companies the Europeans remain loyal to a
certain extent to workers in their home countries. because of politics, big
unions, and national pride. (while we gauge success by the number of olympic
medals we win)
If it came down to having either French & German or Australian workers
unemployed a French /German firm would give the work to workers in their own
country and sack the Aussies.
Most European companies treat Australian workers little higher than those in
SE Asia. I have worked for a Australian construction company in SE Asia and
they treated most of the locals like shit. The Europeans (and the
Yanks,Japs) do the same to us.

It is a pity the Australian Govt. hasn't realised this, but maybe the
kickbacks from these foreign firms to the major political parties has
clouded their judgement.

Chris




"whitehat" <whitehat@alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
39e4c255@news.alphalink.com.au">news:39e4c255@news.alphalink.com.au...
> It appears that both of Melbourne's tram companies will be buying their
new
> trams from Europe (Germany and France I think).
>
> The claim is that (among other things) local manufacture could  not
compete
> on price. What is going on? Local manufacturers claims to be world class.
> They are not competing with third world cheap labour but with high wage
> European labour. The trams have to be shipped half way around the world at
> enormous cost and even with that huge advantage local manufacture cannot
> compete.
>
> Am I missing something here?
>
> whitehat
>
>