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Issue No. 318 | 03 August 2006 |
Don't Bank on Costello's Oil Shocker
Interview: A Life And Death Matter Unions: Fighting Back Industrial: What Cowra Means Environment: Scrambling for Energy Security Politics: Page Turner Economics: The State of Labour International: Workers Blood For Oil History: Liberty in Spain Review: Go Roys, Make A Noise
Telstra Contractors in Bush Raid Blue Mountains Fit Through Loophole Chalkies Give WorkChoices An F Canberra Scratches WorkChoices Handicap
The Locker Room Fiction Politics
What Was He On About? Belly On Balance Help Wanted
Labor Council of NSW |
News Vanny Changes Story
Vanstone denied there was rorting of the foreign worker visa system, but industry sources say she merely changed the rules to protect T&R Pastoral's abattoir at Murray Bridge, which is employing more than 100 foreign workers on 457 Visas. Vanstone then admitted on the ABC's 7.30 Report that abuses are occurring. "She can't have it both ways," says Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union South Australian secretary Graham Smith. "Now we have learned from industry sources that the Minister is negotiating an agreement to water down visa provisions - effectively legalising the rorts we exposed." "I understand the deal will include the ability to use foreign workers in unskilled or lower skilled jobs that could be done by Australian workers and the ability to use AWA's to set wages for these workers at a rate that is lower than the minimum salary level set by the rules of the visa." "This is a direct contradiction of the intent of the visa, which is supposed to be used to fill trades shortages on a temporary basis where Australian tradespersons are unavailable in a particular area. "It is like giving a fox the key to the henhouse." A DIMA examination of the visas at the Murray Bridge abattoir, the investigation was completed in May but has not been released. The AMIEU has called on Vanstone to release in full in the T&R report.
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