The Guardian 31 January, 2007
Visa workers conditions better at home
Construction workers coming to Australia from third world countries on business visas are leaving to return home because conditions are better in their countries of origin than under John Howard’s new workplace laws.
Several Malaysian workers undertaking the construction of a new $70 million print facility being built substantially to print the West Australian newspaper and its allied suburban publications in Perth and regional Western Australia have said they will return home because they cannot afford to live off the 30 Ringgit per hour (just over $11) they are being paid for a 60-hour week, with no penalty rates for overtime.
WA Electrical Trades Union Official, Ian Gill, said the union had been negotiating with West Australian Newspapers to end the arrangement but were being stonewalled.
West Australian Newspaper’s response has been, "Show us where we are acting illegally with the new work laws", Ian Gill said.
"This is an appalling and exploitative situation, and we find it rather hypocritical coming from a media organisation publishing news articles complaining about overseas workers under-cutting Aussie pay rates.
"It’s not just hypocritical, it’s grossly unfair."
Ian Gill said he believed the Malaysian workers had been brought in on Section 456 business visas (where no minimum pay rates apply) and workers can be paid in the currency of the country of origin.
The Malaysian workers say they will be returning home in two weeks when their visas run out because they can do better over there.
"We have visited these workers and taken them some fruit and veggies. They say they do not want any trouble but they are being paid rates that are 70 percent below the lowly award rate, and the award rate is about half the EBA industry rate."
The Malaysian workers are working alongside Australians who are being paid $35 per hour plus, and overtime penalties for doing the same job.
The Malaysian workers were also being asked to undertake electrical work without any electrical licences, an activity that has now been stopped by the West Australian Office of Energy Safety.
The Malaysian workers are being housed in the Perth suburb of Scarborough but have to pay for their living costs, which eat well into their weekly pay. The Malaysian workers are employed by a Malaysian firm Scholpp. Scholpp are subcontractors to KBA, the German company chosen by Western Australian Newspapers to build and operate the new plant.