100 workers at Caterpillar Australia’s Victorian operations have vented anger at a recent decision to send their jobs off shore.

The workers protested outside the gates of Caterpillar for nearly an hour on Thursday, calling on management to redeploy them elsewhere in the company.

“We’ve got blokes here who don’t want to leave. We’ve got a productive workforce, one that was on track to make 200 truck bodies next year. Why are we being turfed out?” said boilermaker and AMWU member Rob Orr.

The record high Australian dollar has made overseas operations more lucrative according to AMWU Victorian Secretary Steve Dargavel. 

“This is about Caterpillar’s bottom line, pure and simple. They’re not interested in maintaining a successful, workplace of 40 years,” 

Caterpillar are one of many manufacturers around Australia struggling with an inflated Aussie dollar, fueled by the recent mining boom.

“We can’t let mining companies kill manufacturing jobs and leave an empty hole at the end of the boom.” said Mr Dargavel. 

AMWU National Secretary, Dave Oliver, said that it is a real concern when not even jobs manufacturing mining equipment are safe.

“Despite being a profitable operation making vehicles in demand by the mining industry, Caterpillar has announced it will instead import the equipment from Mexico,” he said.

For Rob Orr and his co-workers time is running out, with the company expected to close its doors only weeks before Christmas.

“The company preaches about respecting family values. Well, where are they now?”

He remains doubtful that the company will redeploy the workers elsewhere.

“They’ve got kids to feed, mortgages to pay, retirements funds to worry about. I don’t know if that matters to multi-national companies like Caterpillar.”

The Union is currently negotiating with the company to ensure workers receive full redundancy entitlements.