The push from Australian manufacturing unions for a broad-based agenda to support domestic manufacturing has been reinforced by 1,400 job losses at BlueScope’s Port Kembla and WesternPort operations.

Australia's largest steelmaker by output announced on Monday it will close one of its two blast furnaces and abandon its export business, while reporting a full-year net loss of A$1.05 billion ($1.09 billion).

AWU National Secretary Paul Howes said today’s announcement from BlueScope was a devastating blow for the manufacturing industry and further strengthened the union’s call for action on the Chinese Yuan, a robust anti-dumping system and strong local procurement policies for the resources sector.

“The AWU has been fighting to support the steel industry in this country for generations – it’s the backbone of Australian manufacturing,” Mr Howes said.

“We’ve got to face the reality of the manufacturing crisis that’s before us. We can’t accept job losses as the norm and we can’t rely on imported goods in our strategic sectors.”

AMWU National Secretary Dave Oliver said Australian manufacturing was under extraordinary pressure from the booming dollar, record high terms of trade and unfair competition from illegal foreign dumping.

“Local industry is not being given a fair go to work on the mining and resource projects which are driving the dollar sky-high,” Mr Oliver said.

“Manufacturing still employs close to 1 million Australians. Mining employs around 200 000.

“The most important lesson today for Australia is this: our economy cannot just rely on mining. We can only dig up our mining resources once.