The Wire

Sydney refinery workers are in shock today as Caltex Australia announced it will close its Kurnell refinery in the second half of 2014. The move has caused anger with the Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Howes saying both the News South Wales and federal governments should be stepping in to protect jobs.

Caltex says the job losses were part of a review announced last August which found the refinery was inefficient and losing money, but the union believes they are simply cost shifting.