Big corporations exploiting migrant workers on 400 visas – Turnbull Government fails to protect Australian jobs
4 September 2017
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has today slammed the Turnbull Government for allowing big corporations to exploit migrant workers under the 400 visa program.
Media reports today that migrant workers have been brought in to work via the subclass visa, with some applications approved in as little as 24 hours, are deeply concerning.
It appears the Turnbull Government has turned a blind-eye to the fact that companies are bringing vulnerable workers into Australia on short-stay visas. Malcolm Turnbull has failed to protect Australian jobs, and failed to protect migrant workers from exploitation.
The reports highlight extreme examples of worker exploitation, with Chinese laborers flown in to dismantle the former Mitsubishi car plant in the Adelaide Hills paid $1.90 an hour and Filipino metal fabricators paid $4.90an hour in NSW.
There are 50,000 400 sub-class visas granted every year.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Ged Kearney
4 September 2017
The Australian Council of Trade Unions has today slammed the Turnbull Government for allowing big corporations to exploit migrant workers under the 400 visa program.
Media reports today that migrant workers have been brought in to work via the subclass visa, with some applications approved in as little as 24 hours, are deeply concerning.
It appears the Turnbull Government has turned a blind-eye to the fact that companies are bringing vulnerable workers into Australia on short-stay visas. Malcolm Turnbull has failed to protect Australian jobs, and failed to protect migrant workers from exploitation.
The reports highlight extreme examples of worker exploitation, with Chinese laborers flown in to dismantle the former Mitsubishi car plant in the Adelaide Hills paid $1.90 an hour and Filipino metal fabricators paid $4.90an hour in NSW.
There are 50,000 400 sub-class visas granted every year.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Ged Kearney
- “Temporary migrant workers on 400 sub class visas risk serious exploitation. This category is supposed to be for skilled-workers, specialists with expertise that cannot be sourced in Australia.
- “Reports today suggest a concerning lack of scrutiny or oversight by the Turnbull Government, which allows unscrupulous employers to undermine local pay and conditions.
- “The Turnbull government should be ensuring that all our temporary migrant workers have access to the same pay and conditions that local works get.
- “The Turnbull government should be making life better for Australian workers by creating good steady jobs with solid pay and conditions, rather than undermining the Australian labour market by allowing exploitation of the visa system
- “We have skilled, experienced Australian workers who are overlooked by employers who are able to underpay migrant workers being brought in through this program.
- “What Malcolm Turnbull didn’t tell us when he abolished the 457 visa, was that he would continue to allow migrant workers to be exploited under the 400 program.
- “The rules are broken when employers are making big profits from the exploitation of migrant workers."
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