Gillard moves to quell foreign worker row

27 May 2012, 10:15 am   -   Source: AAP
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard. (AAP)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard. (AAP)

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Australians will always come first in getting job opportunities despite a decision to allow 1700 foreign workers into WA.

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Prime Minister Julia Gillard has stated no foreign worker will take an Australian job in the mining sector, as she tries to quell the controversy over 1700 foreign workers being allowed to work on a mining project in Western Australia.

Union leaders have lashed out at the federal government's skilled migration plan that would allow the foreign workers to be employed by mining magnate Gina Rinehart at the Roy Hill Iron Ore project in the Pilbara.

In Melbourne on Saturday, Ms Gillard announced that a "jobs board" would be created that would give Australian workers information about what jobs were available in the resources sector.

"Yesterday I decided we would add to what we're doing to make sure that Aussies are getting the jobs," Ms Gillard said.

"Companies won't be able to bring in foreign workers if there is an Australian ready, able and willing to do the work on the jobs board."

This comes after Immigration Minister Chris Bowen announced on Friday a government program to allow enterprise migration agreements (EMA) would help mining companies find enough workers for their developments.

"We will have a jobs board which will be a way for Aussies to know what's happening in the resources sector and what the jobs are," Ms Gillard said.

"There will be some need for foreign labour but the amazing size of what's happening in our resources sector means that there won't be enough Australians available to fill all of the jobs that are necessary, but Australians will always come first in getting these job opportunities."

She refused to comment on speculation that she was not consulted about the deal with Ms Rinehart.

"I don't on any given day comment on internal government processes," Ms Gillard said.

Labor Senator Doug Cameron said he was "gobsmacked" by the decision to bring in foreign workers.

The former national secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said he was angry that such an arrangement has been made at the same time as employees are being laid off from other workplaces.

"We've got workers being marched off the job in Kurri Kurri, marched off the job by Qantas in Melbourne and Chinese workers marching in Western Australia," Senator Cameron told reporters in Canberra.

He said there needed to be better consultation before the move was announced.

"Obviously, you don't make a decision like this without it being well-known for some period of time.

"And I think the caucus and the backbench are entitled to hear about big decisions like this a bit quicker than we were."

He predicted that a caucus meeting scheduled for this Tuesday will be "extremely robust".

An incensed Electrical Trades Union (ETU) assistant national secretary Allen Hicks called on Ms Gillard to sack Mr Bowen.

Mr Hicks said there hasn't been a proper attempt to find local workers for the project and unions haven't had the opportunity to address the company about their ability to provide workers.

"We haven't seen any labour market analysis that Gina Rinehart and her company's done," he said.

"We haven't seen any advertisements for positions.

Mr Hicks said people who have recently lost jobs in the manufacturing sector were the ideal candidates for this work.

Allowing workers to be imported was an affront to rank-and-file union members and might cause them to vent their frustrations in the ballot box at the federal election, Mr Hicks said.

"Our militant members are going to see this as an attack directly on them and they're going to come out swinging."

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