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Category: Clive Palmer / Business, Economics and Finance / Mining Industry

Sacked Queensland Nickel workers helping others with food hampers

Tuesday, 12 Apr 2016 16:15:01 | Mark Solomons

Tasmania's Salvation Army is running out of non-perishable food to fill this year's Christmas hampers. (Rosanna Ryan: ABC News)

A grassroots support network helping increasingly desperate former workers of Clive Palmer's north Queensland nickel refinery has so far fed hundreds of families.

Sacked worker Joe Collocott has turned his house into a food distribution point for others in the same position now struggling to make ends meet.

More than 700 people at the Townsville refinery lost their jobs over the past few months — about 200 in January when Queensland Nickel went into voluntary administrators, followed by the remaining 550 about two months later.

"We started off with a small food drop and it's just grown and grown and grown from there," Mr Collocott said.

"Probably two weeks ago we started this and it's just growing and growing and growing every day. Every day is a different proposition.

"This food that we're giving, they're going to save money, that money can be spent on their mortgages or their cars or anything like that."

Trish Stephens, the partner of another sacked worker, estimates she will be helping out families in need for the next 12 to 18 months.

"I've seen fully grown men down on their knees crying. And most of us don't know how to comfort a fully grown man," she said.

Sacked workers are owed $74 million, according to a report released by administrators FTI Consulting, which recommended winding up the operation.

If creditors agree to liquidate the company at a vote later this month, the workers may only see up to 52 per cent of the money paid out.

Federal assistance, however, would be available.

AustraliaPlus


 

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