Transport Workers Union of Australia News and Updates
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Commonwealth refuses to act on 457 visas
When presented with evidence of 457 visas being used to lower wages for Australians, the Commonwealth Minister for Workplace Relations today pledged only to ‘monitor’ the issue.
At a Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council in Melbourne, Kevin Andrews heard concerns expressed by NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, but refused to take effective action to stop the rorting.
NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, John Della Bosca, said the combination of 457 visas and Work Choices was being used to;
· lower wages,
· exploit overseas workers who were unaware of Australian wages and conditions, and
· allow employers and the Commonwealth to escape any responsibility to train our workforce.
“The number of temporary workers increased by 45 per cent in 2005/06,” Mr Della Bosca said.
“The Commonwealth Minister was clearly unaware of his own Government’s agreement to allow AMEX to import Japanese speaking personnel at nearly $6,000 below the Commonwealth’s gazetted minimum salary.
“Kevin Andrews’ claim that this is an immigration matter is buck-passing.
“These people are not immigrating, that’s the whole point. They are being brought in because they will work at rates below the Australian market for those skills.
“The reason AMEX can’t attract Australians is because they want skilled people to accept a salary $15,000 below the average – and the Howard/Debnam Work Choices system is helping them to rob Australians of these jobs.
“457 visas are being used here just to undercut the going rate.
“People working in Australia should get Australian rates of pay,” Mr Della Bosca said.
“Without this fundamental standard, overseas workers are exploited, we lose local jobs and there’s no incentive to train Australians,” Mr Della Bosca said.
“The combination of Work Choices and 457 visas is bad news for Australia and for the low-wage temporary staff brought here to do a job cheaply and then shipped home.
“Before Work Choices, there were decent minimum standards that could be enforced.
“Nurses on 457 visas employed by the NSW Government have pay and conditions supported by a state award, backed up by the powerful Industrial Relations Commission.
“In contrast, workers who fall under the Commonwealth’s defective Work Choices system have virtually no safety nets, no powerful independent umpire and no way of negotiating genuine Australian pay rates and conditions.
“We have local labour willing to work and willing to learn – they should not be undercut by a Commonwealth government allowing guest workers on low pay rates.”
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