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Issue No. 310 | 09 June 2006 |
I'm No Economist, But �.
Interview: Rock Solid Industrial: Eight Simple Rules for Employing My Teenage Daughter Politics: The Johnnie Code Energy: Fission Fantasies History: All The Way With Clarrie O'Shea International: Closer to Home Economics: Taking the Fizz Unions: Stronger Together Review: Montezuma's Revenge Poetry: Fair Go Gone
Grandmother Fights Fabrication Company Bog Standards, Hanssen Exposed Iemma Told To Change At Central "Spineless" Andrews Apologises Process Abused - Call Peter McIlwain
The Soapbox The Locker Room Parliament Education
Greens Are Good For You Calling All Micks! Coming Up Swinging Belly's Bit Mining For Gold Blood Spangled Banner Never To Be Repeated Offer
Labor Council of NSW |
News Vanstone Sits On Wages
In the wake of controversial plans by a WA builder to import 170 overseas workers, Vanstone confirmed the guest worker scheme was about holding down union pay rates. "(Some parties) are opposed to the recruitment drive because it opens up the industry to other pools of employees, which undermines the unions' ability to exploit high wages amid the skills shortage," the Senator told the West Australian newspaper. Her comments echo those of Gerry Hanssen, the builder who has been given the thumbs up to import 53 Chinese and Filipino guest workers. He says guest workers are used to undermine conditions and wages won by union members. Hanssen, who has applied to import more than 100 more "guest workers", has admitted he will pay them less than half the current going rate. Hanssen's administration manager, Dick Smith, told ABC radio another attraction was that foreign workerers did what they were told. "I'm not saying they're of a lower level of intelligence or anything like that," Smith said. "It just seemed that they could do one task and not want to do something different until they were told to do something different." The Federal Government and business groups have previously been coy on the issue, defending skilled visas on the basis of companies' inability to find skills in Australia.
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