AMCOR has a long history of worker issues. The mid 1970's saw a wave of strike action at APM mills. In 1976 APM closed its base maintenance workshop at Traralgon.6 The Amalgamated Metal workers Union wanted a $12 a week pay rise. Work bans at this site lasted for over a year. There were also strikes at the SEC and this caused production problems for APM. In 1978 workers at Botany went out in strike due to restructuring caused by declining profits.6 When APM closed down the No.5 machine, twelve unions were involved with strikes. Four hundred workers were retrenched at Botany and soon the ACTU got involved. Rolling strikes occurred in mills around Australia with 24-32 hour stoppages.6 The strike lasted 11 weeks. In the wash up the company agreed to make lump sum retrenchment payments to the displaced employees and set up an employment centre to help employees find new jobs. The Conciliation and Arbitration Commission brought the strike to an end. This led APM to place more emphasis on better direct communication, a less combative stance with more training for workers. The strikes also led to the Pulp and Paper Workers Federation of Australia working more closely with the company.6

AMCOR has a close working relationship with the CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union). The CFMEU's forestry division was amalgamated in the early nineties by the merging of the Timber Workers Union and the Pulp and Paper Workers Federation.

Through the CFMEU, AMCOR, in our opinion, has had an influence on the Labor party's environment policy.

Much of AMCOR's environmental debate has been taken up by the CFMEU organised A-Team which is based amongst workers from the Maryvale mill and Morwell/Traralgon region. The A-Team was set up in the early nineties to "examine environmental issues and put its conclusions to public and political forums"60 and;
"To combat what they saw as people in possum suits wearing flippers and spreading lies about the timber industry. Thirty-five workers from the Maryvale Pulp Mill in Gippsland came forward at a mass meeting of workers when union leaders asked for volunteers. The A comes from action."61"The idea for the A-Team came from union consultant, Derek Amos, former shadow minister for Energy and state member for Morwell, when Labor was in opposition". Mr Amos claimed that "radical elements of the green movement have 'spiked' trees in some of the forest logging areas."61

The A-Team has strong connections with the Labor Party and ACTU and is very influential in Labor environmental policies. In our opinion their arguments are based on suspect industrial/government information and although they claim not to represent industry their information sheets echo the arguments of their employers, ie AMCOR.

"Initially APM was wary of the 'A'-Team and was reluctant to support such an aggressive stance against the conservation movement. The company also had to accept that a group of its workers had strong contacts with the Labor Party and was learning quickly how to use them. In a sense, the workers had assumed the leadership role on this issue. By arguing the case for sustainable development, they were filling in a political vacuum in a way the company had not. More important, the workers were achieving success in what they were doing."60

AMCOR were very smart in the way they marketed the A-Team. In conservationists, AMCOR and the union could identify with a common enemy and form a bond between management and the union. AMCOR could use the argument that it is in the workers' interest to fight with AMCOR against conservationists who were indelibly painted as being unreasonable. If the company falls, the workers will fall with them. AMCOR also allowed training to occur in public speaking and lobbying skills to the benefit of the A-Team and the company.

The A-Team was very vocal in its opposition to the building of an ocean outfall for Maryvale liquid waste in the early nineties, World Heritage, the Thomson catchment and East Gippsland issues. East Gippsland was targeted because in the late 80's when Joan Kirner put in place the VAUS trial, AMCOR put in a bid for a pulp mill to be built in East Gippsland. Also at that time AMCOR was sourcing 25 000 cubic metres of timber from East Gippsland to Maryvale.

It has been argued that the A-Team is actually sponsored by the management of AMCOR. This theory is based on recent trends by large companies to incorporate unions within their company structures. (eg one common strategy used by large companies is to promote union delegates into the structure of the company, thereby corporatising the union). The "A" team are not only concerned about the ongoing viability of their company, but also its expansion: "the workers are now concentrating on resource protection. They want legislation to ensure a continuity of supply of raw materials for the industry."60

Their core argument is that:
"AP's ability to remain internationally competitive rests very heavily on meeting the demand for high quality business papers. AP need the mountain ash eucalypt for the special attributes required for this market. The tree is sustainably harvested from the Central Highlands native forests."62Other quotes from this group include:
"The company has stated that they have a dependence upon the current allocation of Ash regrowth from these forests until at least 2004-2015 and a preference for continued access after that date."62

"Less than half of the forested area of the Central Highlands is currently available for harvesting under the scientific prescriptions which are strictly enforced."62

"AP needs the resource within both the Central Highlands and the Thomson catchment if the mill is to remain a viable operation. Moreover, it has every ecologically sustainable right to that resource."62

In regard to the survival of Leadbeaters Possum the A Team believes:
"The possums have only reappeared in significant numbers since logging of regrowth commenced."62

Their influence on bodies such as the Labor government's environmental committee can be summed up in the following letter excerpts:
"Forestry is no longer the issue people are concerned with. The general public are concerned with issues such as salinity, land degradation, coastal degradation, air and water pollution, noxious weeds and feral animals."63

"Australian plantations should be developed for growth - not substitution of existing sustainable native forest supplies."63

"Industry workers are in fact instrumental in nurturing the resource, they see themselves as conservationists and rightly so. If the industry continues to harvest on the ecologically sustainable basis that they do today, then the resource will be endless, our forests are a renewable resource. What forestry workers want to see is a balance of National and other parks and multiple use forests. They like many Victorians believe we have enough National Parks."63

In our opinion the A-Team does not seem to have been particularly vocal on recent retrenchments of workers due to company restructuring in Tasmania and Victoria, and since the election of the Kennett government has lost much of its 'power'.

Sir Howard Gepp, Managing Director of APM 1936-1948 became a promoter of the 'Save the Forests' campaign in 1944. This group became the Natural Resources Conservation League of Victoria in 1951, with APM and the state government being major contributors. APM adapted its slogan in 1952 to "Trees Forever."64

AMCOR is a principal sponsor to the Banksia awards and: "supports a range of organisations and activities embracing education, health, performing and other arts (AMCOR sponsored the AMCOR Paper Awards Art Exhibition in 1995-6), community welfare and recreation, youth affairs and groups dedicated to the conservation of flora and fauna and protection of the environment."8

AMCOR also:
"sponsors medicine, youth affairs, technological research, crime prevention, animal welfare. Also the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Murdoch Institute for Research into Birth Defects, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Royal Children's, Austin Hospitals and the International Chamber Music Competition."8

AMCOR supported the Sydney Olympic bid to the tune of $100 000.9 They also support Greening Australia, and donated waste cardboard for use as mulching material in tree planting.

"APM donates $10 to Greening Australia for every white office wastepaper collected from Melbourne offices."9

"APM joined with Fitzroy Council to establish urban forests on two hectares in Fitzroy in 1991."9 Not surprisingly co-sponsors were pro-industry lobby group, the Forest Protection Society.

APM were also involved in Bush Alert, launched in 1988, which was used to report suspicious activity in the bush to the police:
"Police were given 3 trail bikes by APM to help police in their patrols and searches in areas that are inaccessible in normal vehicles."65 Other parties involved include police, DCE, trailbike riders associations, horse riders and four wheel drive enthusiasts.

The Managing Director of AMCOR, Don McFarlane has been chairman of the Australian Manufacturing Council Industry and the Environment Committee and has also been president of the National Association of Forest Industries:10 "Employees throughout the group occupy positions on state government committees with recycling, pollution control and forestry."10

AMCOR also sponsors both political parties, however the Liberal Party gain almost 250% more financial assistance than does the Labor Party.

"Stan Wallis from AMCOR came out and said he gives more to the Liberal Party than the ALP because Labor has union backing" he said. "Everyone's now using that line." The Electoral Commission's latest report shows AMCOR gave the Coalition parties $217 000 and the ALP $60 000."66

Stan Wallis is now advising the Howard Liberal Government on issues relating to deregulation.71

In our opinion, AMCOR's recent withdrawl of corporate membership of the National Association of Forest Industries72 should be seen as a cosmetic protest over the current strategic direction of this industry lobby group. Maintenace of support for the state body, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries72 indicates that AMCOR is still very much a part of the state native forest logging/woodchipping nexus.

"Recycled" Paper?

Any consumer activity will be likely to target Amcor's virgin fibre paper products. The Reflex brand of photocopy paper (and its various brand name alternatives) is an obvious target, sourced as it is from the native forests of Victoria's Central Highlands and the "mixed" forests (eucalypt canopy, rainforest understorey) of Tasmania's north west.

Amcor does not produce a genuine, 100% post-consumer recycled paper. The Recycle 100 and Re-Right ranges were phased out in 1993. "Pre-consumer" waste, such as printers' offcuts, is now the main ingredient in Australian Paper's "recycled" range. Renew 100, promoted as "100% recycled content" at most contains 10% post-consumer milk carton material. Renew 80, (which includes 20% virgin fibre) at most contains 5% post-consumer milk carton material.

Alternative products include: Steinbeis (German) 100% post consumer, domestic waste; Cyclus, (Danish) 100% closed loop, post-consumer office and copy shop waste; and Nautilus (Austrian) 51% post consumer content 49% "wastepaper" also distributed in Australia under the name Canon 100. Canon guarantees trouble free runs of 40 copies per minute and laser suitability. Recycled stationery is available from Australian company Ecopaper, and an alternative fibre paper, Evolution (containing hemp, straw and recycled fibres) is supplied in Australia by Spicers. It is an unfortunate reflection on the Australian paper industry that Amcor's market dominance of papers in Australia has led to the recommendation that genuine post-consumer recycled papers from overseas be used.

The following are paper brand listings sold under AMCOR's distributors, The Paper House, Tomasetti and Daltons: UNBOLD TEXT (represents recycled content), * ( represents Imported recycled), @ (represents Australian Made) and # (represents Totally Chlorine Free). Virgin fibre products are written in bold lettering. Of the recycled papers (ie unbold lettering) campaigners must be wary of the details of the recycled fibre. Paper from post consumer waste will be listed that way.

The Paper House

Please note that unless written, recycled content of these papers is unspecified.

CONSERVATION NGO DEMANDS AMCOR MUST: End woodchipping of native forests immediately; Stop clearance of native forests for plantation substitution; Immediately transfer all forestry operations into its already well-established plantation estate. Due to Amcor's market dominance, any consumer activity will be likely to target virgin fibre paper products. The Reflex brand of photocopy paper is an obvious target. AMCOR BUSINESS ADDRESSES Corporate Head Office Southgate - Tower East 40 City Road South Melbourne VIC 3205 ph: (03) 9694 9000 fax: (03) 9686 2924 AMCOR Fibre Packaging 971-973 Burke Road Camberwell VIC 3124 Ph: (03) 9811 7111 fax: (03) 9811 7171 Containers Packaging 679 Victoria Street Abbotsford VIC 3067 ph: (03) 9229 3320 fax: (03) 9229 3378 AMCOR Paper Group / Australian Paper 685 Burke Road Camberwell VIC 3124 ph: (03) 9811 9811 fax: (03) 9811 9890 AMCOR Merchanting and Trading 570 St Kilda Road Melbourne VIC 3004 ph: (03) 9229 9100 fax: (03) 9229 9120 AMCOR Trading ph: (03) 9229 9000 fax: (03) 9229 9090

Carbonless and Self Adhesives Idem Superior (14 brands), Fasprint@ (11 brands), Fasnature @, Matt White @, Recycled @, Fasprint Laser @. Uncoated Papers & Boards Accord Offset @, Glopaque @, Prologue @ (100% recycled content), Printspeed, Rio Offset, Magnum Offset, Ripax Laser Copy, Optix @ (two brands) (40-60% recycled fibre), Reflex @ (7 brands), Top Tec Royale, RC 100 Copy Paper* (100% Imported Post Consumer Waste), Renew Recycled Copy - 100% @ (100% recycled fibre content), Renew Recycled Copy - 80% @ (80% recycled fibre), Australian Copy @, Recycle 100 Tinted Bond @, Recycled 80 Bond @, Copyright Copying Paper @, Copyprint @, Bank & Bond, Burnie Bond Tints @, TPH Tinted Blank @, Wesley Vale White Bank @, Evaluation Blotting White @, Tablex @ (40-60% recycled content), A Board @, Beermat Board @, Crocodile Board @ (recycled content of 78%), Paramount Ivory Board Linen Embossed @, Shoalhaven High Finish Ivory Board @, Shoalhaven Matt Ivory Board @, Shoalhaven Embossed 2/s Ivory Board @, Shoalhaven Embossed 1/S Ivory Board @, Artizan Embossed 1/S Ivory 2/S Ivory @, TPH File Folder @ , Enviro Board @ (100% recycled box board), Unlined boxboard (2 types). Coated Papers and Boards Sierra Suede, Bon Art Gloss and Matt, Impress Gloss @, Impress Matt @, Impress Matt Boards @, Impress Satin Art @, Ketone *# (Guaranteed 50% recycled content), Rapier, Rapier Deluxe Art Board, Bonanza Art (2 types), Britekote (2 types), Chromolux (6 types), Redan Plus, Supalux, Astralux, Invercote, Conopak (2 types), Artcote Greyback @, Pak Cote. Writings, Text & Cover Abermill (2 types), Chaucer Wove (50% Cotton) @, Chaucer Wove 50% Cotton Envelopes @, Chaucer Wove (100% Cotton) @ , Chaucer Wove 100% Cotton Envelopes @, Conqueror (5 types), Conqueror Laser & Recycled * (5 types) (75% recycled finish), Conqueror Contour (3 types), Conqueror CX22 (2 types), Conqueror Bright White Recycled (2 types), Conqueror Text (4 types), Goatskin Parchment (rag content paper), Kendal cover, Lawson @ (6 types), Linweave Tint @, Marble, Nutone Cover and Text # (2 types), O.C.M., Origin @ (100% recycled), Origin VIII @ (3 types), Playtime @, Sandpiper * # (2 types), Saxton @ (5 types), Superfine Calcite @, TPH Laser Bond 2, Narrabri Text - Quartz @. Laser and Copy Papers Reflex @ (7 types), Recycle 100% Copy @ (100% Recycled fibre), Renew Recycled Copy 80% @ (80% recycled fibre), Renew Recycled Copy @ 100%, Copyright Copying Paper @, Australian Copy @, Copyprint @, Top Tec Royal *, RC 100 Copy Paper * (100% post consumer waste), Ripax Copy *, Optix @ (20-60% recycled content) (2 types), Abermill (2 types), Chaucer @ (50% & 100% cotton), Conqueror (3 types), Conqueror Laser and Recycled (75% recycled content), Conqueror Recycled Wove and Laid *, Conqueror Bright White Recycled *, Conqueror Text (4 types), Conqueror CX22 (also includes envelopes), Lawson @ (3 types), Linweave Felt @, Marble, O.C.M. @ (3 types), Origin @ (100% recycled text), Origin V111 @ (100% recycled), Playtime @, Sandpiper * # (some post consumer content), Saxton @ (5 types), Superfine Calcite @ Recycled Papers Fasnature Recycled @, Prologue @ (100% recycled fibre content), Tablex @ (40-60% recycled content), A Board @ (proportion of recycled fibre), Optix @ (20-60% recycled fibre. 2 types), Ketone * # (50% recycled content. 2 types), Conqueror Recycled * (75% recycled content), Lawson @ (2 types. 100% recycled and envelopes)Origin @ (100% recycled text), Origin V111 @ (100% recycled. 2 types and envelopes), Recycle Copy 100% @ (100% recycled fibre content), Renew Recycled Copy - 80% @, Renew Recycled Copy - 100% @, RC 100 Copy Paper * (100% Post Consumer Waste), Recycle 100 Bonded Tints, Sandpiper * #. Tyvek and Securities, Cheque and Ledger Papers Tyvek (7 types + envelopes), Leader Ledger @ (2 types), Conqueror Azure Laid Ledger @, Scanright Cheque @ (2 types). Envelopes Tyvek Envelopes, Original No.1 Chartham Mill Wove & Laid Envelopes, Conqueror (6 types), Nutone, Lawson (3 types), Origin V111 Laid & Wove Envelopes (100% recycled), Chaucer 50% & 100% Cotton Envelopes, Sandpiper, Saxton (2 types), Sel-Seal @, Recycle White Secretive @, Banker Envelopes @, Select Envelopes @ (20+ types) Dalton Fine Paper Please note that this list is not comprehensive of all the papers Dalton's sell.69 Impress Satin @ (Art Paper-2 types), Reflection Matt (Art Paper-2 types), Kartonkote (Art Paper), Kaskad Offset (printing and photocopying-4 types), Haven Systems Board @ (printing and writing), Sandpiper * #(100% post consumer waste-3 types writing papers), Byronic Text, Circa cover - Hemp (50% recycled), Dalton Ripple Bond Ultrawhite * ( recycled fibre - used for embossing and raised printing), Clipper 100% Recycled - Laid @. source : Dalton Fine Paper-sales kit Tomasetti 70 Recycled Harmony @ (13 types, Writing, Clear Cover & Text. Between 50 - 100 % recycled content, Re Right @ (100% recycled content-3 types), OZ Copy Recycled @ (100% Australian Recycled), Environment (100% Recycled. made by Neenah paper a subsidiary of Kimberly Clark USA. Recycled Writing: 25% cotton, 30% post consumer, 45% preconsumer wastepaper. Recycled Text: 30% post consumer, 70% pre consumer wastepaper, Recycled Cover: 30% post consumer, 70% pre consumer.). Uncoated Printers and Specialties Havana (From Germany), Pageantry White, Porcelain, Cream (From Champion Paper's Hamilton Mill in Ohio.), Centurion @, Zetta Mattpost (imported from Zanders mill), Canson Satin, UV/Ultra 11 (Imported from the Neenah paper mill), Teslin, Glopaque @, Premium Plus Offset, Colorit, Multicopy # Coated Gloss Ikonofix Gloss * #(Imported from Zanders mill. Largest selling coated stock in the world. Contains up to 40% post consumer waste.), Enamelet, Mega Gloss-Recycled * #(Imported from Zanders mill. 50% recycled/50% Chlorine Free.), Royal Impression Brilliant Gloss (imported from KNP Mill in Europe), Euro Art 2000 Gloss, Tasman Gloss @. Coated Dull Matt Ikonorex Dull & Ikonorex special Dull* #(imported from Zanders mill. Contains up to 40% post consumer waste), Ikonorex Dull Ivory * # (Contains up to 30% post consumer waste), White A Superior Dull, Mega Matt - Recycled * # (imported from Zanders. 50% recycled, 50% chlorine free), Royal Impression Satin (imported from KNP mill), Euro Art 2000 Matt, Tasman Matt @, G Print Boards, Coated and Uncoated Chromulux 700 (Imported from Zanders Mill), Chromulux 800, Chromulux Color 1/S, Chromulux Metallic, White A Cast Coated Board (imported from White A mill), White A Art Board- Black Label, Chromocard-Low Density, Eco-cote, Tablex System Board @. Self Adhesive Taktik Supreme Gloss #, Taktik Labelstock, Taktik Coverit Gloss (Bluebak) #, Taktik Laminated Foil-Matt Gold, Butterfly Gummed Paper - Flatsam

Spicers
Spicers distribute a wide range of paper and stationery products, some which originate from Australian Paper. One of these is the Tudor range of copy paper. However, not all Tudor products are recycled. Tudor Fax paper is not. Tudor copy paper is also "pre-consumer" recycled paper, and is therefore strictly speaking not "recycled". While Spicers is only partly owned by AMCOR, you should still avoid this product. Contact Spicers in your state and tell them what you have done and why.

Kimberly Clark Australia
Disposable nappies and other sanitary products have long been the target of environmental concern. KCA's ongoing use of native forests from the Otways, makes Kleenex, Huggies and Softies obvious targets for consumer activity.

Building Materials
AMCOR-owned Brown and Dureau supplies a wide range of construction timbers from imported and domestic plantation and native forest sources. Alternative companies include Auspine and CSR. Bunnings and McEwans, also likely to be subjected to consumer and investment activity due to connections via WA woodchip company Wesfamers, are not recommended.

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