September 6, 2015
A plan by a Chinese-owned dairy in Gippsland to import workers has been condemned by federal opposition and union figures.
Newly exposed details that Ningbo Dairy, which trades in Australia as YoYou, was actively recruiting dairy farm workers two years ago threaten to stoke fears over the Chinese-Australian Free Trade Agreement.
The FTA's impact on local jobs was the subject of bitter political point-scoring between the federal government and opposition last week.
"There's been widespread evidence of the abuse of [migrant worker] 457 and backpacker visas in a range of rural industries, from food processing right through the supply chain," Victorian senator Kim Carr, shadow innovation and industry minister, said. "We need to be very mindful [with the China FTA] of the long history of irregularities that have occurred and why it is so important to maintain Australian standards."
Ben Davis, Victorian Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, which represents dairy farm workers, described the historic revelations as appalling. He fears such incidents will become more common under the new trade agreement. "ChAFTA sends a signal to Chinese employers that it will be easier to get employees into Australia, particularly where a significant capital investment is being made at the same time,"
Ningbo Dairy has bought several dairy farms in Kernot, in South Gippsland, and plans to build a feedlot and $20 million milk-processing plant to export fresh milk directly to Chinese consumers. Ningbo's vice-president Harry Wang last year criticised Australia's high wage costs and said he could improve the Kernot farms' productivity and profitability by importing workers from its 12,000-cow mega dairy operations in China.
Several sources say YoYou management later backed away from the claims, saying its comments were misconstrued. But Fairfax Media has uncovered evidence that in August 2013, Ningbo was actively recruiting Chinese dairy farm workers for Australian jobs.
Broadcast and social media records show Ningbo was seeking "livestock management, and animal science and dairy farming-related" employees, with some English, to work in Gippsland.
At the time, the unemployment rate in the dairy-intensive Bass Coast Shire, was 4.79 per cent. It is now 5.74 per cent.
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A plan by a Chinese-owned dairy in Gippsland to import workers has been condemned by federal opposition and union figures.
Newly exposed details that Ningbo Dairy, which trades in Australia as YoYou, was actively recruiting dairy farm workers two years ago threaten to stoke fears over the Chinese-Australian Free Trade Agreement.
The FTA's impact on local jobs was the subject of bitter political point-scoring between the federal government and opposition last week.
"There's been widespread evidence of the abuse of [migrant worker] 457 and backpacker visas in a range of rural industries, from food processing right through the supply chain," Victorian senator Kim Carr, shadow innovation and industry minister, said. "We need to be very mindful [with the China FTA] of the long history of irregularities that have occurred and why it is so important to maintain Australian standards."
Ben Davis, Victorian Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union, which represents dairy farm workers, described the historic revelations as appalling. He fears such incidents will become more common under the new trade agreement. "ChAFTA sends a signal to Chinese employers that it will be easier to get employees into Australia, particularly where a significant capital investment is being made at the same time,"
Ningbo Dairy has bought several dairy farms in Kernot, in South Gippsland, and plans to build a feedlot and $20 million milk-processing plant to export fresh milk directly to Chinese consumers. Ningbo's vice-president Harry Wang last year criticised Australia's high wage costs and said he could improve the Kernot farms' productivity and profitability by importing workers from its 12,000-cow mega dairy operations in China.
Several sources say YoYou management later backed away from the claims, saying its comments were misconstrued. But Fairfax Media has uncovered evidence that in August 2013, Ningbo was actively recruiting Chinese dairy farm workers for Australian jobs.
Broadcast and social media records show Ningbo was seeking "livestock management, and animal science and dairy farming-related" employees, with some English, to work in Gippsland.
At the time, the unemployment rate in the dairy-intensive Bass Coast Shire, was 4.79 per cent. It is now 5.74 per cent.
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