Australian unions have raised some deep concerns about the AUKUS pact. 

In coming weeks, the Albanese Government will announce the details of its nuclear-powered submarine plan, with the Prime Minister predicted to travel to Washington for a possible joint press conference with US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

However, the Labor government’s traditional union allies say they fear the AUKUS pact and the acquisition of nuclear subs will not deliver the promised boost to Australian manufacturing jobs.

Defence Minister Richard Marles claims AUKUS will create “thousands” of new local jobs But Glenn Thompson, national convener of the Australian Shipbuilding Federation of Unions - which represents unions including the AMWU, Electrical Trades Union and the Australian Workers Union - says he remains “apprehensive”.

“It’s one thing to say that this is going to create thousands of jobs, but you actually have to be able to build something well in advance of whatever AUKUS comes up with,” said Thompson, an assistant national secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU).

“It’s of great concern to us about where the workforce is coming from and how are we addressing the issue of Australia’s sovereignty.”

The unions want the government to build an additional six conventionally-powered submarines in Australia before the expected fleet of nuclear-powered submarines arrives.

“There’s a whole lot of uncertainties,” Mr Thompson said of the AUKUS pact. 

“I just think from a capability perspective the country needs to have a plan B.”

But Mr Marles has definitively stated that the government “has no plans for any conventionally powered interim submarine capability, as we move towards gaining the nuclear-powered submarine capability”. 

Senior Navy figures are fiercely resisting the idea of an interim conventional submarine, reports say. 

Mr Marles says AUKUS will be “a genuine three-country collaboration”. This has created an expectation that Australia will acquire a joint next-generation submarine model combining American and British technology.

There are no details yet of what proportion of the submarines might be built in Australia. Mor Marles has said that the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide will play a major role in the project.