Meat Workers for Western Australia

Western Australia seeks skilled meat workers

Thursday, 17 May 2007

Kevin
Andrews, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and Margaret Quirk,
West Australian Minister for Small Business, have finalised a
three-year labour agreement for the temporary entry of skilled
meatworkers to Western Australia.

Western
Australia's current unemployment rate of 2.7% makes up over half of the
national unemployment rate of 4.4%, resulting in a significant
temporary shortage of skilled workers in Western Australia,
particularly within the fast developing meat industry.

The agreement, which allows employers to hire
skilled foreign workers temporarily, is very popular with businesses
and the government to address critical skills shortages in Australia.

Under the agreement, sponsoring employers will be
expected to provide workers with a minimum salary of $41 850 (the
standard minimum salary level) or the relevant industrial instrument,
whichever is higher.

They will also be committed to training Australian workers which will help to guarantee a future workforce for the industry.

Similarly, applicants seeking employment in
Australia under the new agreement will be subject to strict skills
assessment requirements to ensure the legitimacy of their contribution
to the industry.

The agreement follows the Australian Governments
commitment of $85.3 million over the next four years to maintain the
integrity of Australia’s temporary skilled migration programme.

The Australian Government is also introducing
fast-tracking of applications for those employers who have a strong and
demonstrated record of complying with the programme and will apply
severe penalties for employers found to be in breach of the sponsorship
conditions.

The agreement will provide West Australian meat
companies with a quick fix solution for the skilled meat workers
shortage as well as ensure the security for the jobs of Australian
workers.

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