Australian steelworkers have raised arms asking for an industry standard redundancy package for workers affected by BlueScope Steel's restructuring program, a union group said.

Over 2,500 steel workers attended a mass meeting in Wollongong held recently to send the clear message to BlueScope that they are not willing to accept forced redundancies.

Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Howes said in a statement posted on its website that BlueScope had brought the dire situation on itself.

"The reality is BlueScope has played a major role in its own downfall," Howes said.

"For the company to deflect blame about this announcement simply onto external macroeconomic conditions is just crap. BlueScope should have invested in coal or iron ore mining years ago, while it was profitable," he said.

The union slammed BlueScope for paying huge dividends but not spending more on plant equipment, reinvestment or integrating BlueScope into iron ore or coal like OneSteel did.

"We're now paying the price for mismanagement that happened years ago," Howes said.

The AWU membership condemned BlueScope for cutting 1,000 jobs without consulting the union and called on the company to guarantee cuts made would be without any forced redundancies.

AWU also demanded that the proposed redundancy packages reflect the industry standard in steel closures in the past, including Newcastle Steelworkers.

It likewise renewed calls for the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive agenda for the manufacturing industry and its 1 million strong workforce.

"The redundancy package BlueScope has put on the table is unacceptable," AWU Port Kembla Branch Secretary Andy Gillespie said.

"These packages fall well short of the industry standard we've seen during major steelworks closures in the past. At the very least, we expect BlueScope to put forward a fair deal for these workers," he said.

BlueScope announced in August that the board approved a major restructure of its Australian operations.

"We are experiencing significant economic challenges and structural change in the global steel industry...The restructure will produce a more viable and sustainable Australian steel business and allow us to focus clearly on domestic markets and international growth opportunities," BlueScope chairman Graham Kraehe said.

The restructuring involves the closure of No. 6 Blast Furnace at Port Kembla and closing the Western Port Hot Strip Mill.