PRIME MINISTER FINALLY AGREES WITH UNIONS ON 457 EXPLOITATION

18 April 2017

SA Unions says the decision by the Federal Government today to abolish 457 visas is more about the Prime Minister's own political future than it is about safeguarding Australian jobs.

State Secretary, Joe Szakacs says any suggestion that this decision by the government is for protection of workers is laughable.

"This decision today is nothing but a wolf whistle to the fringe right of his own party as he desperately looks over his own shoulder at the looming former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his supporters."

"Malcolm Turnbull is today acting as if he genuinely cares for Australian jobs."

"If he did, he'd also be fighting to protect the penalty rates of hundreds of thousands of workers who face losing thousands of dollars from their pay packets each year."

"If he did, he'd support the claim by the ACTU for an increase in the minimum wage and he'd do something about wage theft and the increasing casualisation of our workforce."

"And if he did, he would have supported our car industry and investment in new, green jobs in South Australia."

Mr Szakacs says the union movement has long been concerned that 457 visas were being used to bring in people from overseas who were then terribly exploited by employers to undermine the wages and conditions of Australian workers.

"For too long, 457 visas have been used to cut wages and wholesale out employer responsibilities to these overseas workers."

"The union movement supports genuine immigration to Australia, in which all workers - regardless of their country of origin - are afforded the highest standards under Australian workplace laws."