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Government Permits Slave Labour
Date: 05 March 2001
Union intervention has exposed an immigration scam involving the exploitation of guest skilled workers issued with four-year work visas who have been effectively imprisoned for more than three years. The case raises immigration and industrial relations issues, according to Shadow Minister for Immigration, Con Sciacca, and the Shadow Minister Industrial Relations, Arch Bevis.
The Shadow Ministers today condemned the Howard Government for its inaction that has resulted in eight specialist stonemasons from India being forced to endure conditions including:
· Being locked in the construction site for over three years, with a supervised excursion permitted just once every three months;
· Forced to work a 13-day fortnight, (every second Monday off);
· Housed in rat infested sheds - up to five per shed; and
· Paid $45 per month in Australia with a further $400 sent to their families in India.
Mr Sciacca said three questions needed to be answered immediately by Minister Ruddock.
"Firstly, will the Minister guarantee that these workers will be paid their full entitlements - the entitlements that their employer guaranteed when applying to sponsor the workers?
"Secondly, is the Minister satisfied that this is an isolated case and that such exploitation does not occur on a regular basis?
"And, finally, now that this shocking case has been exposed will the Minister establish safeguards and practices to monitor employers to ensure that the commitments given are maintained?"
Mr Bevis said that under current laws employers seeking to sponsor specialist workers must guarantee the same working conditions as those available to all Australian workers.
"In this case it is clear that there has been continual gross breeches of the industrial laws. Not only have these workers been denied pay and conditions but the employer has also made no effort to meet basic safety considerations.
"We are not asking the Government to do anything more than to enforce its own industrial laws", said Mr Bevis.
The workers are currently being looked after by the CFMEU which is pursuing all legal options available to assist these workers to obtain their legal entitlements.
P0501
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