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Australia – Trade unions criticise trade deals negotiated at the expense of local workers

22 April 2014

Reports that China is putting pressure on the Australian government to be allowed to bring in workers for projects funded by Chinese investors have been criticised by trade unions, reports australianforum.com.

According to the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU,) trade deals should not be negotiated at the expense of Australian workers and local jobs.

ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver said that Unions don’t support the removal of labour market testing requirements that enable temporary overseas workers to build and operate projects in Australia, at the expense of local workers.

“We support trade and foreign investment that pays a dividend to Australians and our economy but we don’t support an ‘at any cost’ approach. Removing labour market testing requirements and allowing the use of exploitative visa classes, like the 457 [temporary work (skilled) visa], is a quick fix for the trade deal and a bad outcome for workers,” he explained.

“We’re letting large global corporations own and run the mines, soon we won’t be taxing their super profits and under this scenario, there won’t be any local jobs there either,” he added.

The ACTU also wants any negotiations that have taken place or are taking place to be made public so that everyone in the employment industry can see the figures and modelling that guarantees the outcome.

Mr Oliver suggested that a reported deal with Japan further underlined that  the Australian government make concessions far greater than other nations at the expense of Australian industries: “The government hasn’t come clean on whether or not a deal has been done with Japan to purchase off the shelf submarines at the expense of thousands of Australian jobs and industry.”