Can Australian Workers Expect Respect ?

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Prime Minister Julia Gillard was not consulted on the decision to bring more than 1,700 foreigners to work on a major mine project in Western Australia.

The workers have been granted visas under the first Enterprise Migration Agreement to work at Gina Rinehart's $9 billion Roy Hill iron ore project.

Immigration minister Chris Bowen signed off on the deal but Ms Gillard was not informed about it until Wednesday after her return from the United States.

But Labor MP Nick Champion has told ABC News 24's Weekend Breakfast the Enterprise Migration Agreement (EMA) was discussed by cabinet and caucus last year.

"This process went through cabinet, it went through cabinet and caucus last year in actual fact," he said.

"It's fair to say most of the caucus want Australians to be trained up and skilled first but we have to accept that with these massive projects we just simply won't undertake them without both foreign capital and foreign labour." Mr Champion says it is in the national interest to develop the projects with foreign workers.

"Sure, there's up to 1,700 foreign workers coming in under this agreement.

But 6,000 Australian jobs will be created because of it.

So, you know, we do have to be careful to see the whole picture here." Skills Minister Chris Evans says the deal is a necessary step to manage the workforce.

"There'll be thousands and thousand of jobs available in Australia," he said.

"First preference will go to Australians, who want to work in these projects, that are often in very remote areas, but the EMA is part of managing that massive investment pipeline and peak construction activity." He told ABC Radio's AM the move is a sensible economic solution.

"Tens of thousands of Australians will get job opportunities in construction of these projects in the next few years," he said.

"But we will need overseas labour to supplement that and it's better that it comes in temporarily than permanently because those jobs will be part of a peak activity, which won't last and the temporary top-up of foreign labour is the sensible economic solution." 'Gobsmacked' But the Government is facing an angry backlash from unions and within its own ranks over the move.

Labor backbencher Doug Cameron says he is gobsmacked and bemused by the decision, and does not believe Labor's caucus will be comfortable with it either.

"I'm gobsmacked.

In the week where Australian workers are being marched off the job in Kurri Kurri and Tullamarine that we're marching Chinese workers onto Roy Hill.

It just defies logic to me," he said.

Independent MP Tony Windsor says the cabinet should have been involved in the decision.

"There are enormous ramifications potentially in terms of this decision," Mr Windsor said.

"If we're worried about fly in fly out circumstances and the impact it can have on regional towns, we should be very concerned about fly in fly out from international destinations.

"This has ramifications that should be discussed by the representatives of the Parliament, it shouldn't be just taken off one Minister's desk." Outspoken MP Bob Katter has also faulted the Government's move, branding it a ludicrous decision which erodes confidence in the national economy.

"These people are so lacking in patriotism and so committed to looking after the interests of corporations that invariably are foreign owned or foreign financed, that they have agreed to fly in people from overseas," Mr Katter said.

"They will undermine our awards and they will take your jobs, and I don't just mean in mining - it'll spread beyond that.

"The Australian people will not stand for this." The AMWU says the move sets a dangerous precedent and is a slap in the face for the domestic workforce.

"The respect we believe all employees should have for Australian workers I think is going out the window," union secretary Andrew Dettmer said.

"What we will be seeing is employers like Gina Rinehart and others, Clive Palmer, BHP, trying to import more compliant and complacent work forces, ones who don't have a commitment to the local economy, who don't have a commitment to the local community, and of course are only coming here for the dollar.

The CMFEU's national secretary Dave Noonan says the announcement has been mired in "spin and nonsense", and claims there are plenty of avenues for Ms Rinehart to hire overseas workers in specific roles without offering local workers the jobs first.

He says his union has been flooded with calls, emails and texts from concerned members, and it represents a "sell-out" of Australian jobs.

"The project would create many more jobs for Australian workers if Australians were given the opportunity to apply for them first.

"Australia's migration policy has been handed over holus-bolus to Gina Rinehart."

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/gillard-not-consulted-move-import-234020275.html

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How far has the hatred of employers by employees degenerated in this country? So often encouraged and nurtured by the unions, the "hate and envy the boss" seems to have escalated in recent years. Are we now at the point, where people like Gina Swineheart are justified in returning the contempt?

 

Hey Aussie

If its true and we ourselves here in oz can't meet the local demand of labor which somehow i find hard to believe but lets say "IF".

Then i would expect that our unions would be right in there demanding the same wages and conditions that Australian workers get should be afforded to these temperory workers.

Its one thing to bring in international workers to meet the overload on the same pay and conditions.

Its another thing to bring them in and still pay them for example a dollar a day as they might be used to getting in their country.

Because then the Gina's and the Clive's of this world will start saying to us well if the chinnesse are willing why aren't YOU.

Ok if we cant meet the demand (bullsh*t) and you bring in these temp workers UNIONS better make sure they are getting what Australian workers would be getting if they did the same work/job.

So come on unions your chance to prove your worth.

Now if the Gina's and the Clive's have to bring in overseas temp workers on the same pay and also pay for their accomodation and perdiems per day i wonder who they would prefer overseas or Aussie workers.

 

D&D, don`t forget the safety aspect. You don`t just walk on to a mine site & start work, you need to be qualified, and inducted. You need a working knowledge of mine safety requirements, this takes time & experience. New people should never be put into concentrated groups, but need to be spread amongst experienced crews.

It`s surprising to say the least, that an ALP govt. would cooperate with such a rotten move.

 

We have very low unemployment. There are more jobs than people to fill them.

 

Not according to the unions.

 

So true aussie,

I was thinking along the lines that these people would be experienced BUT even then they would have to complete safety induction courses etc.

Totally agree with you.

 

I would rather see aussies being trained to do the job, but then again mining isn't everyones cup of tea either.

 

And it's not the first time Australia has imported overseas workers to make up the numbers. My father was just one of those workers.

 

Mining is hard, but the rewards are there for those who can handle the jobs. As you say "I would rather see aussies being trained to do the job", so would I. Just getting a start in a mining job can be very confusing. If people were helped and guided, I`m sure that all but the most exclusive positions could be sourced here in Australia. Where are the unions re the mines recruitment / induction phase of the exercise? Surely they could do something for workers for once, without chasing the big $$$$? The unions are the Catholic Church of the industrial relations world. They want to collect all the gold candlestick holders for themselves, while doing no more than telling every other poor bastard how to live.

 

These people were among our best immigrants. They came here to work, and stay, and to give their loyalty to this country. They could appreciate the opportunities that Australia presented & they made the best of Australians.

 

This is a non issue. Firstly, Australians can apply for these positions, but the company are working on the assumption that they won't get enough candidates to fill the roles. If they do then that would be fantastic as no company wants to go through the hassles of 457 visas. But the reality is that there won't be enough.

The company is providing training to 2000 new staff. It is hard to expect them to do more

The people brouht in have to be paid the same as Australians.

The people the unions are bleating on about that have been made redundant in the east simply don't have the skills required

 

1 in 4 people living in Australia are immigrants. Why are some people still so terrified of the notion or immigrants?

 

This sums it up pretty well. The fuss being created about this issue is ridiculous.

Hancock Prospecting has a project for which it has very specific labour needs. For the construction phase it requires a certain number of workers with the required skills. It must prove that it can't source Australian workers to the level required. If it can prove that then it can import overseas trained skilled workers for the job. Those workers must be paid as per Australian rates and work under Australian conditions and the employer must comply with Australan laws. At the conclusion of the construction phase those workers will go home or they could apply to stay as legal migrants if they like it here and good luck to them if they do.

The unions are making a fuss because they have to. There will be misrepresentation of this issue through the media and those people who don't read further than the first two paragraphs in a story in the press won't understand the issue. So to avoid complaints from their members the union leaders will make a big fuss even though they know it's largely bull(*)(*)(*)(*). Doug Cameron is making an issue of this because he is in the Senate and wants to stay in the top three places on the ALP ticket and to do so he must have the support of his Left faction so he has the same reason to complain as do the union leaders - to keep his/their jobs. He knows it's crap.

The Opposition will make an issue out of the PM not being told. Hello? You have two ministers who run portfolios which are both involved in this issue, they've been presented with a problem, they've come up with a solution and it's being constructed and will be implemented. Does the PM have to approve policy decisions made within the portfolios by all ministers? I think not. She will need to show a bit of gumption, of which she has plenty, on this one and not be thrown off guard by the Opposition which will trade on public ignorance to make a big noise over it.

If the solution hadn't been produced you can bet Hancock Prospecting would be screaming bloody blue murder over it and that would enable the Opposition to, rightfully, accuse the government of being unable to resolve a problem facing that company.

 

Why did the convicts from the First Fleet line up and hurl abuse at the convicts on the Second Fleet? A sense of superiority I think. Anyway we're all descended from immigrants, some of us got here yesterday, some of us got here 50,000 years ago.....pity we can't lose the attitude though.

 

Thanks for the thumbs up

We arrived from Germany in 1960. My father being a tradesman, had a job before setting foot on the boat. We have totally assimulated into Australian society. Also, my father ran a business for nearly 35 years employing upto eight people.

 

These are the people we need. Race doesn`t matter, but compatability is paramount.

 

The Voice of the Global Proletariet Trapped in Australia or the International Working class to comrades and friends ,says ,"the ALP\ACTU Middle class ,Social democratic wanabe party,never was the ALP a Social democratic Party ,but aleays a Liberal One ,hey LENIN not me.

Former Australian Workers were Decades ago awake to the ALP's Corruption and oppurtunism ,near 8 decades ago.the great lesson of the Depression was not lost with the formation of mass Workers parties of the anti-ALP ,Working Class type ,for we stripped the ALP of the "L"Long ago ,then the problem was Stalinisms betrayal of the workers International.The political Conciousness of the international working class trapped in the English Penal Colony called Australia.

Hey Capitilist Class ,sorry capitialist protection racket called Government.

Gillard this is not America stay over there ,please you and Rupert can elope thanks for the fish ,Nationalisation of the Mines THANKS !

You want my list of "Political Reform "lenin taught us all well, Trotsky included "On Comprimise",i wouldn't say its , his most lengthy work, but hey !

Nationalisation of all "Family Owned Property"!drastic depression Austerity times require immediate response for the good of society as a whole ,oh and repudiation of all Debt ,turn the stockmarket Computers off!

And about 200 families are like sad and the rest of us a re COOOOLL.Debt free and then free of all Money and Fetish for!

BTW, the first act of the Coming USSE ,Workers Government of Europe will be the burial of Lenin ,And Museleum to Museum.a nice burial in Highgate London maybe apt.

 

From the guild of Master metal workers ,when we where Journey men .They spit and attack us,with class predjudice calls us stupid and Naieve ,The rumbling happened now the storm.

For Capitialist europe Fails Humanity AGAIN ,that unease that we feel as near politics as torent can be felt ,nuclear disarmenent of all NATIONS bar none would be a real good Socialist task!

Lets not dally on that one Anti-Nuclear War Movement =Anti Imperialism !

Pro humanity ,the Proletariet leads again of the Internationalist Type and No other !

It has started from the national long ago ,the tension thus increased ,Nodules of history flux and motion dialetical in its composition!

The Proletariet from Europe ,bought us many gifts to the former penal colony ,some came as free man not many!

 

That`s just a crazy way of saying that you want to take other people`s money.

 

yes,the Ozzie ozzie oioi oi bunch ,don't study the History of the Place,for in the Penal colony the international proletariet and some of the most "Cultured Europeans and some not so Cultured "best Petty bourgeois intelligensia excluded of Course,have come to help build the colony to NATION ,hey the gold rush did a good job as well as the snowy scheme ,and murrumbidgee,as well as all major infrastructure ,Includ'n the opera housey and coathanger thingy >

The International Proletariet done that cobber ,crickey ,true blue fairdinkum with a drongo on top ratbaggery the gubbers i say.A debt ,soon repaid beyond expectations .

 

Who cares about this dumbarse country. LOL Being 41 on the International IQ table, it will probably end up being the planets prison once again.

 

The Working Class makes \creates all profit no other Commodity other then Labour gives more then it costs to replace ,also called variable capitial or wage slave.

The capitialist method of our expropiation is the wage contract.All the iron ore and coal in australia is mined by the WORKING ,not middle class WORKING CLASS we blow it up and ship it ,we do.All the "other peoples Money ,and actually i will prefer Capitial to money anyday,ownership of the Industrial infrastructure please mine not yours or theirs.

Mine as in ours all of the class of Worker!

Capitialism is a CLASS based Society BTW!

 

Yeah, but top 5 for educational scores.

No one cares about IQ scores anymore since they're known to be highly inaccurate and biased.

 

It's about you time you pack your bags and move. They tell me Mongolia is nice this time of year.

 

I prison it is Indeed for all Colonies that fly the rag of the Imperialist British Jack .Republicianism is the resounding bell of the Colonies History ,thrid rate imperialist Nation no more .Forward to the United Socialist Republics of Asia!

Japanese and US Imperialisms demise.Finally peace in Imperialist divided Asia.as part of unified political and economic humanity.No to the carve up of China ,complete the World Socialist Revolution!

International Working Class trapped by China,the factories are YOURS!