Originally Posted by
Icarus2001
This thread is full of comments about overseas pilots working for less and Q not wanting to pay market rates hence the "457" visas. None of that is true. Imported labour will be paid the same as local labour. Fact.
They end up costing more as there are administrative costs associated with the visa process.
The thing is, the market rate SHOULD be higher. If there is a shortage of something (labour in this instance) the price of that something SHOULD go up in response. Australian pilots have looked at the price being paid for their services and decided it is not high enough. They are now being bypassed.
This 457 visa is all about adding something else to the package (the eventual right to gain Australian citizenship) as an incentive for foreign pilots. It costs the company nothing and addressing the supply side issues with citizenship rather than pay increases is keeping wages artificially depressed.
I said it earlier. It's a fkn disgrace.