CAT Trucks unaffected despite Caterpillar shutting down Melbourne factory and sacking workers
By Gary Worrall | November 12, 2010
CAT Trucks has moved quickly to hose down rumours it has laid off staff after 100 employees at Caterpillar’s Tullamarine factory were told the factory would be closing.
A CAT Trucks spokesman says the truck unit is a joint venture of Navistar and Caterpillar in the USA, and is unaffected by the relocation of mine truck manufacturing to Mexico.
“Operations are continuing on as scheduled, as is the world launch, as is the global business plan to sell CAT Trucks in Australia for 2010 and beyond,” a CAT Trucks spokesman says.
Caterpillar Australia says the decision to close local manufacturing is due to a lack of warehouse space.
Some unions are blaming the strong Australian dollar, which is currently hovering around parity with the US dollar in international money markets.