The Pilbara mine where resentment over migrant workers is mounting.
The Australian government, possibly responding to recent criticism over the usage of migrant workers over local Australians, yesterday issued a statement that urged employers to consider local labour first.
The government stated that migrant workers on temporary skilled visas must not be used as a substitute for local workers and that they should only be employed if skilled labour cannot be found within the local population. They stated that: “Our priority is to provide training and job opportunities for Australians.”
In September of last year the government introduced measures in the Migration Legislation Amendment Act that were designed to protect the migrant worker from exploitation and prevent employers from using immigrants as cheap labour in place of local workers. The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) was able to glean information from the Australian Tax Office to ensure that migrant workers received fair salaries on a par with their local counterparts.
Other authorities such as health and safety organisations and the Fair Work Ombudsman were also able to share information with the DIAC. It was hoped that this would make it harder for employers to break the rules.
The laws came into place on the 1st of January this year and entitled all new and existing workers on subclass 457 visas to be paid market rates. Any employer found breaching those rules were liable for fines of up to $33,000.
The government released figures with its statement yesterday that showed that almost 90% of temporary skilled migrant workers who were issued 457 subclass visas in the first seven months of 2009 were managers and professional workers. They also claim that the average salary for migrant workers had increased by $10,000 to $100,000 per year.
In Western Australia where there is currently a mining boom and a shortage of local workers, the average salary was found to be $165,500 for immigrants working in the mining industry.
The figures also show that the number of visa applications that were granted is also down. Primary visa grants for January 2010 were 45% lower than January 2009 and for subclass 457 visas the figure was a 13% decrease. There was also a decline in visa applications. Government statistics show that subclass 457 primary visa applications were down by 31% from January 2009-2010. Figures also indicate a general downward trend in applications from the date of the Migration Legislation Amendment Act in September. The statistical report states that: “In general, application rates have been steadily decreasing as employers become familiar with the new requirements.”
The figures released by the government come just after news that tensions in the Pilbara at Cape Preston near Karratha in Western Australia are escalating after 54 Australian workers were sacked at a Chinese-owned iron ore project whilst 70 Filipino workers were kept on.
And last month Labour backbencher Kelvin Thomson criticised a government discussion paper praising the Northern Territory and Western Australia for their usage of temporary migrant workers. Mr Thompson said that young Australians were missing out on employment because of the continued use of migrant workers.
So what do you think? Are employers still taking on migrant workers over local workers? Perhaps you are a local skilled worker unable to find work, or are you a migrant worker who appreciates the opportunity given to you by Australian employers. Whatever your situation, we’d like to hear from you – fill out the comments box below or join our online forum for discussions and chat.
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