CFMEU praises 457 Visa review

Date: 14 November 2008

The CFMEU today congratulated Commissioner Deegan on her report to the Federal
Government on reform of the 457 Visa scheme.

CFMEU National Secretary John Sutton said today that Deegan's findings demonstrated that the trade union movement's complaints about the scheme had substance.

"Whilst we do not agree with all of her findings and recommendations, we call on the Rudd Government to implement the Deegan recommendations as a matter of urgency."

"Commissioner Deegan has clearly found that there has been widespread exploitation of 457 Visa workers, particularly at the lower skill levels and further that the potential for further gross abuse will continue to exist unless there are major changes to the existing regime."

"We particularly commend her most fundamental recommendation that these temporary overseas workers should be paid the same rates and conditions as Australian workers for doing like work," he said.

"The CFMEU will continue to campaign publicly for the kind of major overhaul that Deegan recommends, in order to stop the 457 scheme from being the cheap labor program that it has become and that has grown so out of control in recent years."

"Deegan's independent report indeed vindicates our long standing concerns and proves comprehensively that the labour movement was not 'crying wolf' on this issue."

For further information

Contact:	John Sutton, National Secretary
Union:	CFMEU
Contact Mobile:	0419 254 180.
WWW:	http://www.cfmeu.net.au/

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