Australian PM Targets Imported IT Workers 224
beaverdownunder writes "A debate 'down under' has started to rage surrounding the importation of 'temporary' IT workers on so-called 457 visas, with the Prime Minister promising to bring in tough new restrictions on foreign workers in a pre-election pledge, despite evidence that there are insufficient numbers of Australians to fill the skills gap. Some quarters argue the foreign workers are necessary to drive growth in Australia's IT industry, while others have cited examples where large Australian companies have imported workers needlessly, displacing qualified Aussie personnel."
Mah nishtanah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, mi-kol ha-leylot? (Score:5, Interesting)
And how is this different from the controversy over this exact same subject here in the US, and I'm sure in other countries too?
No, they haven't (Score:5, Interesting)
You need to actually live here to understand the politics of the situation. The problem is that the government has lost control of illegal immigration (purely their fault, because they're the ones who dismantled a border-control regime that worked), so in order to signal to the electorate that they're very very very concerned about illegal immigration, they're... cracking down on legal immigration.
People on 457 visas have average annual incomes safely over ~$90k, which makes sense - the 457 program is targeted at areas of skills shortage. There is no comparison with the H1B visas in the US.
Re:Import the workers or offshore the jobs... (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes, or.... Which has been the debate over here, the hired labor costs maybe underbidding the local labor costs. Thus displacing local talent because of the cost. Most businesses doesn't run on philanthropy after all, which makes it a legislation issue to protect local jobs (albeit fighting globalization would seem futile)
We've had examples of companies (well at least one that got some press) where they show one contract to immigration services that shows the foreign IT hires as getting at least minimum wages. but the local hires also had another contract stating how much they would ACTUALLY get and that they'd be fired or fined if they did not lie about their salary to immigrations.
I was appalled, and quit the company shortly after. I continue to be amazed at the lengths people will go to turn a profit.Professional businesses should be able to see the huge impact illegal or immoral activities can have on their sales, brand or reputation in the market.and no secret is safe enough that it will never become public knowledge.
Re:Import the workers or offshore the jobs... (Score:5, Interesting)
Where it's possible they already off-shore jobs. If it could be off-shored to India they'll do it.
The jobs which are here are the ones they can't move overseas, or, more usually, where they know the local talent is good and are trying to war the price down with imported labor that isn't actually as productive - which is exactly the same problem as in the US with H1Bs.
More importantly, the ability to import cheap foreign labor means a lot of businesses which should be employing graduates or running apprenticeship programs aren't. Which means allowing it to continue unchecked means Australia winds up being no more valuable then cheap foreign labor in the first place, which takes away the only thing we have going for us.
Re:Mah nishtanah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, mi-kol ha-leyl (Score:4, Interesting)
It is of course usually harder to grow GDP by increasing productivity per person.
Trade wars (Score:1, Interesting)
Expect plenty of this type of protectionist nonsense from every government, distorting the markets, raising prices by removing competition because of varios lobbying efforts and just stupid populist sentiment designed to rally up nationalistic feelings. Trade wars follow currency wars and lead to hot wars. In the interim they lead to higher prices (wage is also a price) thus to higher unemployment and more outsourcing. More unemployment fuels the negative popular sentiment, worsens the economy and feeds this self-perpetuating cycle, which gives politicians more ammunition to destroy freedoms (and this legislature is destroying ppls freedoms) and this brings closer the inevitable conflict. All such measures end up hurting the economy but politicians get more power and preferred lobbying companies get to raise prices in and steal from the market by joining the political power.
Be aware of this, don't fall into a trap believing this is good for you or the economy, it's not. It hurts the economy and thus it hurts you.
Re:Mah nishtanah, ha-laylah ha-zeh, mi-kol ha-leyl (Score:5, Interesting)
Abuse is rife (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyone in the IT industry in Oz who has not seen 457 visa abuse, especially by the large system integrators, is simply not paying attention. Bringing in dirt cheap labor who are on-sold to customers at a very high profit margin is rife. Some of these people are good, some are bad. But all are basically being used to reduce IT wages and increase the profit margins of the SI's.
Here's a question: if there is an IT skills shortage, why have IT wages been flat for five years.
And the opposition trying to play this as racism is beyond offensive, given their demonization and wolf-whistling around refugees. I'd like to think Abbott couldn't go lower, but I am pretty sure there are much further depths of depravity and hypocrisy that man and his supporter are capable of.
Plus their fans in News Ltd (aka. News Corp elsewhere).
Re:So more jobs for Aboriginal Australians? (Score:5, Interesting)
But they got to Australia BEFORE the pale people did, and you didn't follow THEIR immigration laws, did ya?
Re:So more jobs for Aboriginal Australians? (Score:3, Interesting)
Yeah and the aborigines arrived second http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2001/01/01/2813404.htm possible wiping out other inhabitants - but lets all ignore that and the fact that aborigines will not let further DNA testing on the remains even though the oldest fossil remains in Australia DO NOT match current modern day aborigines. http://www.convictcreations.com/aborigines/prehistory.htm
Re:More accurately (Score:5, Interesting)
I was hoping someone would have left this comment, and was not disappointed.
Visa workers are just a way for companies to never pay for training. In the long term, that leads to your workers being unqualified, a lot of turnover, and a lot of unemployment. Congratulations for following us in everything we do, Australia.