❓ The WA government and federal government have signed a labour agreement to protect the rights of WA workers and skilled migrants on 457 visas, addressing concerns about exploitation and ensuring fair wages and conditions.
AnsweredQoN 820Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN WORKERS AND SKILLED MIGRANTS - PROTECTION
Can the minister please advise the house of any recent measures being taken to protect the rights of Western Australian workers and skilled migrants brought to Western Australia under temporary skilled migration 457 visas? Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH
Can the minister please advise the house of any recent measures being taken to protect the rights of Western Australian workers and skilled migrants brought to Western Australia under temporary skilled migration 457 visas? Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Mindarie - the daylight saving capital of the world - for his question. It is a historic day today in protecting the rights of Australian workers and skilled migrants coming to Western Australia. I am pleased to say that the federal government has today just signed off on a blueprint labour agreement with the Western Australian government that will close loopholes in the federal government skilled migration program that allow workers to be underpaid or exploited. I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH replied: I thank the member for Mindarie - the daylight saving capital of the world - for his question. It is a historic day today in protecting the rights of Australian workers and skilled migrants coming to Western Australia. I am pleased to say that the federal government has today just signed off on a blueprint labour agreement with the Western Australian government that will close loopholes in the federal government skilled migration program that allow workers to be underpaid or exploited. I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
I thank the member for Mindarie - the daylight saving capital of the world - for his question. It is a historic day today in protecting the rights of Australian workers and skilled migrants coming to Western Australia. I am pleased to say that the federal government has today just signed off on a blueprint labour agreement with the Western Australian government that will close loopholes in the federal government skilled migration program that allow workers to be underpaid or exploited. I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH replied: I thank the member for Mindarie - the daylight saving capital of the world - for his question. It is a historic day today in protecting the rights of Australian workers and skilled migrants coming to Western Australia. I am pleased to say that the federal government has today just signed off on a blueprint labour agreement with the Western Australian government that will close loopholes in the federal government skilled migration program that allow workers to be underpaid or exploited. I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
I thank the member for Mindarie - the daylight saving capital of the world - for his question. It is a historic day today in protecting the rights of Australian workers and skilled migrants coming to Western Australia. I am pleased to say that the federal government has today just signed off on a blueprint labour agreement with the Western Australian government that will close loopholes in the federal government skilled migration program that allow workers to be underpaid or exploited. I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
I spoke to immigration Minister Vanstone earlier this month and expressed my concern about the potential for the exploitation of workers coming in under the 457 visa scheme. I reiterated to the minister that Western Australia’s skill shortages should not be seen as an opportunity to import cheap labour that would result in a race to the bottom for low wages and working conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that if we bring in skilled overseas workers on cheaper wages, it will be only a matter of time before Australian workers will be forced to take pay cuts. This is why the agreement that the state government has put together, and which was endorsed today by Senator Vanstone and the federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, will ensure that all workers will be treated equally and paid equally regardless of their origin. The labour agreement will enable an international exporter, an abattoir in Gingin, to bring in 12 workers on 457 visas for six months. This agreement should be the blueprint for all Australia; in particular, the meat industry. The federal minister has been waiting for 16 weeks for that industry to come back to her with a national agreement, on which they cannot reach agreement. The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
The labour agreement includes safeguards such as allowing the state government to check employers’ salary and wages records to ensure workers are being correctly paid. Importantly, the agreement also contains a commitment to comply with all occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation requirements. Only last week Minister Vanstone applauded Western Australia for the way it was monitoring the skilled workers who were coming into our state by making sure they were working under fair and equitable conditions. I have indicated to Senator Vanstone that the Western Australian government supports, and is willing to work with her on, a national agreement for the meat industry. The national agreement must, as a high priority, include a clear guaranteed commitment to training Australian employees.
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